An Old Curse
by imagination-running
Summary: Apollo has dropped out of the sky, literally, and he must retake the Oracle to regain his godly powers. Of course, this means he wants Percy and Annabeth's help - and it's going to cost them. A new quest. An old curse. And Percy is caught in the middle of it. Sometimes the plans we make are nothing more than idle day dreams. Percabeth.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Summary: A multi-chapter story. A new quest. An old curse. And Percy is caught in the middle of it. Sometimes the plans we make are nothing more than idle day dreams. Percabeth.**

 **The Set-Up: Apollo has been turned into a teenage mortal, and when he is tossed off of Mt. Olympus by Zeus, he crash lands in the dumpster just blocks from Percy's apartment building. It's April of Percy's senior year, and all he's asking is to at least graduate and have a little peace for a change, but instead, he's getting another world tour on a ship with Annabeth and a few of their "foreign" friends in a multi-pantheon quest for the future. The only question is, "Whose future?"**

 **A/N: Though technically this fic could be called a crossover between Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, and the Kanes, this story will mostly be Percabeth. And it's not really my version of the upcoming** _ **Trials Of Apollo**_ **series, either, though I got the idea from it and have used the announced premise of that series in this story.**

 **P.S. I have this story written completely already. It's edited and ready to go. I will update every few days, guaranteed.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

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Percy hated trigonometry with a passion almost as powerful as the love he had for Annabeth – almost. Annabeth won everything, every time, hands down. But that was an ADHD tangent for another day. And tangents brought him back to trig. He hated trig. Percy ran a hand through his hair, blew air out of his nose, laid down his pink eraser, picked up his pencil (for the thousandth time), and turned back to the math problem at hand. There was a knock at the door.

"Oh, hallelujah, sweet Hestia! I'm saved!" Percy cried as he tossed down his pencil and raced the door. He jerked it open, not even bothering to look through the peephole. "Wise Girl! Thank the…"

He had expected to see his beautiful blonde curly-headed genius of a girlfriend. Sadly, the only part of that expectation that was right was the blonde part. A dude with wavy surfer style hair stood outside the front door, a sixteen year old dude with a penchant for bad poetry and excellent archery. Nope, definitely not Annabeth.

"Lord Apollo?"

The dude beamed his pearly whites and pocketed his sunglasses. Apollo for sure. "Percy Jackson. Just the guy I wanted to see. And, by the way, you're welcome for…whatever you were thanking me for."

Percy stared. "Uh…What, uh, brings you…here, Lord Apollo?"

Suddenly Apollo looked more sheepish than Percy had ever seen him, and Percy's instincts started blaring that whatever the answer was, Percy probably wasn't going to like it. He could feel his irritation building already. Though better than it once was, it seemed like it was always just below the surface since Tartarus and the end of the Giant War.

Apollo peeked around Percy. "It's a long story. We should talk about it inside. And I have it on excellent authority that your mother is a fantastic cook. Is it dinnertime yet? I'm starved."

Yep, Percy was not going to like this visit, but what choice did he have. He could hardly deny a god a meal and conversation. He stepped to the side and gestured for Apollo to enter the apartment. "Mom's out buying a few groceries for dinner with my stepdad, Paul. They'll be home soon, and there won't be any problem with you staying to eat."

Apollo walked into the apartment like he owned the place, and Percy was suddenly aware of what his subconscious had been pondering since he had realized who was standing outside his front door. The god had no godly aura, not a bit of one. He gave off no more power than a mortal. An idea started forming in the back of Percy's mind that he did not like one iota. He had been promised by the gods four years of peace. He and Annabeth had requested that the gods leave them be while they attended college at New Rome, and the gods had agreed with the condition that the two demigods spend that four years designing and developing New Greece and also contacting the few living adult Greek demigods, inviting them to move themselves and their families to the new safe haven that would border Camp Half-Blood. They had eagerly agreed to the deal, and Percy's gut was now telling him that Apollo was about to break his end of it.

Percy swallowed hard, trying to physically force his irritation back down into his gut as he closed the front door and watched the un-god swagger into the living room and sprawl out on the couch. "So, this is casa de Percy, eh? Small, but nice, I guess. Dude, if you'd lived in Greece back in the day, you would have already been married to some rich princess and living it up in a palace. Of course, if you'd taken my dad up on his offer a couple of years ago, you could be living it up in a palace on Olympus right now." Apollo smirked at him. Percy's irritation spiked, again.

Percy, for his part, wasn't exactly sure of what to say to that insulting compliment. His home wasn't big, but he was rather fond of it. And he certainly didn't want to be a god or even a prince of an ancient Greek city-state, for that matter. "Well, this is home. I'm happy with it. Besides, I've lived in an apartment my entire life. I wouldn't know what to do with all the space of a palace. I don't even know what to do with an entire cabin at camp." He sat across from Apollo in Paul's recliner.

Apollo glanced around the room, fingering the fringe on the throw blanket draped on the back of the couch. "So, are you still with that same chick? Athena's daughter? What's her name: Annibelle…Anastasia…?"

"Annabeth," Percy replied shortly. "Yes, she's still my girlfriend, and she's a person, not a chick."

Apollo eyed Percy like Percy had forgotten which shoe went on which foot. "You're dad's a fisherman. You've heard of catch and release, right? Lots of fish in the sea, man, and believe me, a lot of those fish are just waiting to taste your bait, if you catch my drift."

Oh, Percy caught the drift all right, and he was about ready to show Apollo just what a son of the sea god could do with a drifting current like that. Nothing pretty, that's for sure. "Well, those fish are going to be waiting a long time. I catch to keep, and I caught a keeper on my first try. Now, I know you're not here to talk to me about my relationship with Annabeth, but if you're not going talk about why you're really here, then I've got some math homework I need to work on. Excuse me."

Percy started to stand, but Apollo called out to him and straightened up in his seat. "Wait! Wait. You're right. I don't really care about your obsessive loyalty problem. I have a problem that I need solved."

Percy humphed. "And what makes you think I'll fix your problem? You're a mortal, aren't you?"

Apollo looked a bit stricken and a lot angry. "Who told you that?" he hissed.

Percy just looked at him. "My mom gives off a godlier aura than you are right now. Besides, I was there when Zeus said he was going to punish you for letting the prophecy of seven fly so soon after the Titans were defeated."

Apollo looked away and sighed, still angry. "I thought you were supposed to be the stupid one."

Trig homework was starting to sound downright delightful. "I could say the same to you. Now, why do you think I'll help you? You're a mortal, and mortals fix their own problems. They don't pawn them off onto other people, at least, not without proving themselves to be a total douche."

Apollo's eyes flashed. "You better watch yourself. I'm still a god. I know you're thinking about that promise to leave you alone for a while, but you forgot the fine print, demi-god."

Percy swallowed his irritation, again. It wouldn't do to insult Apollo too much because he would get his powers back one day, and the other gods could always take up his slack in the meantime. "Fine print?"

Apollo leaned back into the couch with a smug grin on his face. "Yes, fine print, Percy Jackson. We agreed to leave you alone during your college years. You're still in high school. You won't be starting college until August, so it would seem that you and your precious girlfriend are still on the gods' speed dial."

Percy groaned. "It's April 27th, Lord Apollo. There are two camps full of eager demi-gods who would be more than willing to assist you on your quest. Why not ask some of them? I could even make recommendations since I train half of them and am close friends with the other half's trainers."

"Are you saying I should take virgin questers all the way to Delphi with me on what is arguably the most important quest of all time? No. I need experience and expertise with me on this quest."

Percy took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm himself. "I have four weeks left until I graduate high school, and you're going to drag me halfway around the world because I am an experienced quester? There are other experienced demi-gods out there."

Apollo gave Percy a hard look. "None with your experience. Or connections, for that matter."

"Connections?" Percy asked, confused.

"Yes, connections, Jackson. Your friends, the magicians, that son of Frey, and the former Valkyrie. The future is clouded for everyone, not just the Greco-Romans. We'll need their help if we're to succeed."

Percy's head started to spin. Sure, he figured that the gods were aware of the other gods and that Percy and Annabeth had found out about them, but to hear it plain as day out of Apollo's mouth, like it was a perfectly normal thing for members of various pantheons to hang out and help one another on quests and missions threw him for a loop. And for Apollo to so casually say that he intended on grouping them all up for this quest to Delphi was an even bigger surprise. Before he could get his mind wrapped around the idea, though, he heard the front door opening and turned to see his mom, Paul, and Annabeth all coming into the apartment. Percy jumped up to greet them and take the grocery bags from his mother.

"Hi, Percy," his mom greeted him. She handed the bags over to him and caught a glance at the couch. "Oh, I didn't know you were expecting a friend. Hello!" she called over to Apollo.

"I wasn't expecting him either. He just dropped in," Percy grumbled.

Percy saw Annabeth's calculating look, but before anyone could say anything else, Apollo laughed and joined them in the kitchen. "Yes, I dropped in quite literally. Landed in a dumpster two blocks away and made my way straight here."

"Landed in a dumpster?" Paul asked, looking up as he lifted Percy's new baby sister Hope out of the baby carrier he was wearing.

"You're Apollo," stated Annabeth as she sat her book bag under the coat hanger and took Hope so Paul could get out of the carrier.

Apollo looked at her dully. "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

"Lay off her, Apollo," Percy shot from the counter where he was emptying the grocery bags.

Apollo leaned back in a chair with his arms behind his head. "Testy, today, aren't we, Jackson? Why don't you introduce me to your family?"

Percy clenched his fists a couple of times before taking a breath and turning back to everyone else. "Sure. Apollo, this is my mother Sally Jackson-Blofis and her husband Paul Blofis," he started pointing towards Sally and Paul. Then, he pointed towards the two-month old in Annabeth's arms. "The baby is my sister Hope, and you know Annabeth, of course. Mom, Paul, this is Apollo the god of the sun and prophecy and various other stuff. Zeus has de-godified him until he can retake the cave of the Oracle at Delphi in Greece from Python. He has the idea that Annabeth and I are needed to help him with this quest."

Apollo glared. "I'm pretty sure that exceeded the definition of 'introduction.'"

"I was just trying to cover all the bases," Percy replied while reaching to put a box of cereal on top of the fridge.

Paul looked a little bug-eyed, but Sally and Annabeth were wearing identical looks of outrage and fury. Sally stepped forward. "No." Her voice was like steel. Percy could have counted on one hand the number of times that he had heard her use that tone in his entire life.

He could have heard a pin drop in the silence after the single word his mom had voiced. Then, Apollo sat up and eyed Sally. "What was that?"

Sally returned his stare. "No," she replied with conviction.

"No?" Apollo sounded incredulous.

"That's right. I said, 'No.' Annabeth and Percy will not be traveling all the way to Greece for yet another war disguised as a quest. An afternoon long errand here in the city? Sure. Training other demigods at the camps? No problem. Maybe a diplomatic meeting on Olympus? Go for it. But going halfway around the world to solve a problem the gods themselves are capable of and ought to solve themselves? N-O, no." And just as casually as ever, she turned and began to reheat some pre-pumped milk for Hope.

Apollo laughed like he was dealing with a confused child. "You are a lot of things, Sally Jackson-Blofis, but at the end of the day, you are still a mortal. You have no say on what the gods do or don't do. I suggest you remember that. I'm sure baby Hope would prefer growing up with a mother."

At this Percy stepped forward, as did Paul. Percy growled and felt the water pressure building in the plumbing. "Don't you dare threaten my mother's life."

Apollo took a step towards him, and Percy was pleased to note that he had a good two inches on the un-god. "You're treading on thin ice, Perseus."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Percy returned. His voice was deadly calm.

Apollo cursed. "You're too comfortable with how you address gods, as is your mother."

There was a loud groan from the sink. Annabeth put her hand on Percy's shoulder. "The plumbing, Percy," she calmly reminded him.

Percy inhaled through his nose and returned putting away groceries. "We can discuss this later, Apollo, but leave my family out of it. Dinner won't be for a while yet. Why don't you go make yourself comfortable in the living room? There's a Yankees game on, if you're interested."

Percy heard Apollo leave the room, exhaled heavily, rubbed his face, and went to pack up his homework. "I think I'll go to my room for a bit, unless you need me."

His mom grabbed his wrists and pulled him away from the table and hugged him. "Percy, I'm serious. I don't want you and Annabeth going on this quest."

Annabeth had sat down and was feeding Hope. She looked up at them. "Sally, we probably don't have much of choice. If the gods want us to go, we'll have to go."

"No you don't," Sally argued. "They promised to leave you alone for the next few years. They can't-"

"Mom, they can," Percy informed her heavily. "Apollo told me before you got home. They only promised to leave us alone while we are in college, and-"

"And you're still in high school," Paul finished. His voice sounded old.

Percy looked over and nodded at his step-father. "Exactly."

Sally started pacing. "So that's it, then. The gods have just decided to interrupt your life, again, take you away from home, again, send you across the globe, again, assign you to save the world, again, and risk your life, again, for something that they should be able to care for themselves. And you're just going to go along with it? They promised, Percy! They promised!"

She was going to cry. Percy could hear the hitch in her voice. He, Annabeth, and the other demigods dealt with the after-effects of two back-to-back wars every day. It was normal, expected, even, but far less obvious was the after-effects the mortal parents of demigods experienced watching their children go through such horrors at such young ages. And Sally was not immune. If anything, she was more deeply affected than most because of Percy's sudden and prolonged disappearance the previous year. Paul was faster than Percy this time and was at Sally's side in no time. She instantly buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Her fists were clenched and gripping the front of his shirt.

Percy walked over and gently rubbed her back. "Mom, we don't want to go, but like Annabeth said, we don't have a choice. At the mere suggestion of it from you, Apollo threatened your life, and he's currently powerless. We'll have to go or be blasted to bits."

Annabeth burped Hope and came over to the group. "Percy's right, Sally. We have to go if they say to go."

Sally pulled back from Paul and looked at the two of them. Paul took Hope from Annabeth, and Sally put a hand on each of Percy and Annabeth's cheeks. "You've just done so much already. I just…I worry. I love you both, and I just have a bad feeling about you going on another big quest. And you'll be going off to college in New Rome this fall…Oh, listen to me being a sentimental mother."

Percy smiled and hugged her. "Be as sentimental as you want, Mom."

She gave him an extra squeeze. "Okay, Percy," she replied as she let go of him. She took a breath. "Now, go finish your homework in your room while I cook dinner. Annabeth is here to help you, now."

Percy smiled at her and shouldered his backpack. Annabeth walked over and grabbed her book bag from its place beside the front door, and the two of them went to work on homework until dinner was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Disclaimer: I forgot this on the last chapter, but I don't own any of it. All rights belong to Rick Riordan.**

The next two months seemed to fly by. After a long discussion with Apollo the night he showed up on Percy's doorstep, it was decided that Percy and Annabeth would, once again, be spending their summer doing the work of the gods. No one except Apollo was happy about that decision, but it came down to doing what the gods wanted or facing their wrath. With those options, the choice was obvious. That night, Percy's sleep was invaded by memories of his father telling him he wasn't supposed to be born, of Annabeth telling him about how Thalia had died and become a tree, and of Bianca dying in the desert. He woke up feeling worse than when he had gone to bed.

Within two days, Percy, Annabeth, and Apollo were meeting with the Kanes, Magnus, and Sam in Central Park to discuss the upcoming quest. The others had been receiving messages from their gods that something big was happening, and that they were expected to take part in it. So it was no surprise to them when Percy and Annabeth relayed the situation to them. However, no one wanted to leave on a quest before they finished the school year, and they were going to have to wait on Hephaestus, his automatons, and his children to complete a ship for their travels, so it was decided that the questers would not leave until the Monday after Father's Day.

As luck would have it, however, when that day arrived, Hephaestus arrived at Camp Half-Blood to inform the group that he hadn't managed to finish their trireme. Leo and the other Hephaestus campers were working as fast as they could, but the combined magic of three pantheons was hindering the process more than expected, so the team didn't leave Long Island until July first. Percy and Annabeth had not said anything to their new team of seven, but the former team of seven all made it clear that they didn't like the date of departure any better than their battle-weary friends. It was a quiet good-bye that felt all too much like a final good-bye. It would be the first of many bad omens that would occur over the next several weeks.

The ship was named _Ancient Days_ , and Percy was named the captain. In many ways, it was a lot like the _Argo II_ , but unlike the ship from the previous quest, the _Ancient Days_ did not fly. It was fitted with engines, however. Though when Percy was sailing, he did not use the engines or the GPS. Annabeth helped him learn to utilize the maps, and once he knew where he was heading, he just willed the trireme that direction. When others sailed, however, they did use the engines and the GPS. Percy could will the ship faster than the engines if he wanted, but the others didn't have that power, obviously.

The quest had three major stops: Sweden, Egypt, and Greece, and they decided to go in that order. However, nothing is ever that simple on a quest, and with the monsters of three pantheons after them, just crossing the Atlantic was proving to be even more difficult than when Percy and Annabeth had been on the _Argo II_. It took the entire crew of seven and the three automaton ship guardians to help defend the ship from the monsters. Everyone was exhausted by the end of each day, and Percy often felt like he spent more time in the water than he did on board the ship. Sam reminded him that she spent just as much time flying in the air as he spent swimming in the ocean.

If that wasn't enough, it seemed that every time Percy's head the pillow, he was smothered in old memories of every time he had nearly died, of when Bianca died, of learning about Thalia turning into a tree, of the Fates snipping that yarn, and of when he had learned about the oath his father had taken to not have any more demigod children. In all honesty, it was beginning to take a toll on him, but he managed to keep it from the others, except Annabeth, of course.

One day about a week and half into the quest, she cornered him in the supply room of the ship. "Something is bothering you," she informed him.

He kept his back to her while he continued to repair a sail that had gotten ripped in a recent griffin attack. "We're on a quest. We're all bothered by something," he answered lightly.

"No, it's something else. You haven't been sleeping well since Apollo showed up, and you've taken to brooding. I know you, Seaweed Brain. You only brood when something is bothering you."

"I'm just tired, Annabeth. Captaining a ship is no small responsibility."

She grasped his shoulders and turned him to face her. "I know that, but you're still lying."

He looked down and slowly grabbed her hand as he answered, "No, I'm not."

She lifted his chin to force him to look at her face. "Then, look me in the eye and say that."

He sighed. "You're too smart. It really is nothing to worry about, though. It's just some dreams."

Annabeth's eyes widened and she gripped his arms. "Percy, demigod dreams are something to worry about. You know this."

He ran his hands up and down her arms to calm her down. "They're not demigod dreams. Just old memories coming back to haunt me. Really, it's nothing to worry about."

She eyed him closely. "I don't believe you. You're worried about it, even if it is memories, but I don't guess I'm going to get it out of you right now." She hugged him. "Just remember that you're not in this alone. You can tell me anything," she promised.

Percy hugged her back and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I know, but for now, let's just see how things play out. There's no sense in both of us being distracted by my dream memories."

She looked up at him. Then she stood up on her tip toes and kissed him softly. He felt himself relax some as he kissed her back. She pulled back from him and smirked. "There. That's the distracted face I like to see."

Percy threw his head back and burst out laughing. "Gods, I love you." His dreams weren't quite so relentless that night.

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After another week and a half, they finally arrived in Lund, Sweden. They then spent another week traveling the country chasing after leads and killing monsters before winding back up where they started in Lund. Then, Sam and Magnus used the Hunnestad monument carvings to take off into Yggdrasil for four more days of doing the same thing. They apparently met up with a couple of their friends while jumping around the nine worlds and finally managed to bring the sight of the future back to the Völva. When they finally got back, though, Magnus was the color of ashes, and Sam looked like she hadn't slept the entire time they had been gone.

Annabeth and Sadie took charge of getting the two of them down to the sick bay where Apollo said that in his professional mortal opinion, the two were suffering from exhaustion and use of too much magic. All they needed was food and a lot of sleep. Percy made a captain's decision to stay at the harbor for two more days to give them time to recover before the ship went back out to sea, where they would no doubt encounter more monsters they would sitting there in Lund.

By the afternoon of the second day, Magnus came marching up to Percy who was on deck making a final check of the lines, sails, and riggings so they could head out first thing the next morning. "Percy, why are we still at port?"

Percy raised his eyebrows turned to look at Magnus. "We were giving you and Sam some time to recover. You came back to the ship looking like death warmed over."

"I am death warmed over," Magnus deadpanned.

"You know what I mean," Percy replied as he expertly tied off a rope.

"That still doesn't answer my question. We could have slept while we sailed."

Percy shook his head. "Dude, the monsters aren't going to just disappear because we've made it to Europe. Our staying here to give you and Sam a chance to rest was just as much for your benefit as it was for all of us. And, quite frankly, the monster problem is only going to get worse once we cross into the Mediterranean Sea. We're all going to need to be in top form."

Magnus nodded. "Okay, then. I guess I can accept that, but I'm done resting. What can I do to help out around here?"

"Carter's about to cook dinner. You know how he is about meal duty. I'm sure he would appreciate your help."

Magnus chuckled. "Fine, I'll go help him, but don't expect anything gourmet."

"Never do," Percy called out to Magnus, as the son of Frey descended the ladder below deck.

Magnus yelled something back, but Percy couldn't make it out. Knowing Magnus, though, it probably wasn't anything either one of their mothers would have approved of.

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That evening, Percy and Annabeth activated the automaton ship guardians so that everyone could sit to eat dinner together and listen to Magnus and Sam's story and then get a good night's rest before heading out in the morning. The guys had cooked a frozen lasagna and garlic bread and had put together a salad for dinner. There was even chocolate cake for dessert because apparently Magnus had found a box mix and wanted cake. While they ate, Sam and Magnus took turns interrupting one another to tell the story of their adventures in the Nine Worlds over the past several days. Like any hero story, it was a harrowing tale of adventure and near death experiences, that is to say, just a normal day in the life of a(n) demigod/magician/einherji.

At last their story was finished, and everyone was polishing off their cake. Apollo looked like he was about to doze off where he sat, and Percy could feel his own eye lids getting heavy. Sam slowly chewed the last bite of her cake. She was staring off into space looking like she was working out a particularly difficult math problem. Then she blinked, looked at her plate, and slowly said, "There is one thing I can't figure out, though."

"What's that?" Magnus asked through a bite of cake.

"It was something Odin said to me just as we were about to leave to come back to Midgard."

"Well, spit it out," Sadie prompted. "What did he say?"

Sam looked up and locked eyes with Percy. "He said that he wished Percy was Norse so that when he dies he could be brought to Valhalla. He said that you would be an excellent einherji to have when Ragnarok does occur. It was the way he said it, though, as if… Never mind. I was tired and hungry and just reading into things," she finished quickly, shaking her head.

That statement seemed to perk Apollo right up. He didn't look surprised to hear what Odin had said, nor what Sam had tried to not say about the All-Father's statement. He mostly looked worried, like a secret had slipped, and he was hoping that no one noticed. Based on the looks Percy was getting from the others at the table, though, everyone noticed. Percy cleared his throat, put on a confused smile, and casually answered, "Well, thanks, I think. But, I don't really want to fight anymore once I do die, so I think I will just stick with Elysium."

Magnus smirked at him. "Lazy. Leaving all the hard saving-the-world work to me and my friends."

"Once I'm dead, it'll be your turn since I've been doing all that hard saving-the-world work while I'm still alive," Percy replied.

"Hey! I saved Boston before I died!" Magnus exclaimed.

Percy raised his eyebrow and smirked. "I'm just messing with you, bro."

Magnus's face fell. "I…Oh. It's hard to tell with you."

Percy laughed. "Whatever, man. Are you done with your plate?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sure," he answered as he handed Percy his empty plate. Percy gathered the other plates, and he and Annabeth cleaned the kitchen while the others went about their evenings. Carter and Jack sparred in the training room. Apollo set up a few targets on the top deck, and practiced his archery. Sam and Sadie had walked towards the cabins probably for some girl talk.

Annabeth and Percy worked in silence. Once the dishes were clean, Percy turned to see Annabeth wiping down the last countertop. She walked over and dumped the crumbs in the trash can, and then headed his way to replace the dish rag. But before she could get the rag to the sink, Percy grabbed her by the waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her. She leaned into the kiss, tossed the rag towards the sink, and tangled her fingers in his hair.

"What was that for?" she asked once they pulled apart.

Percy wound a piece of her hair around his fingers, still holding her close to him, and stated, "You were being quiet."

Annabeth's eyes twinkled. "So you thought that meant I needed a kiss?"

Percy shrugged. "I had no idea if you needed it or not, but it sure sounded like fun to me."

Annabeth laughed out loud at that. "Gods, Percy. You're hopeless."

"And you're hopelessly in love with me, so what's your point?" Percy asked with a smirk.

She laughed again and shook her head. "Is this conversation going anywhere?"

"It could go to my cabin," he answered, waggling his eyebrows.

"And what would it do in your cabin?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and smirking at him.

"I don't know. Talk about what's on your mind. Make-out. Both. Whatever it wants to do," he suggested airily.

She tapped her temple with her index finger. "Hmmm…I suppose that would be okay. We will just have to be careful because I would hate to get arrested for having an inappropriate relationship with a minor." She jumped out of his embrace laughing and took off at a run.

"Hey!" Percy yelled. He ran after her. "Three weeks, Wise Girl!" She flew out the door of the dining hall, and he was just steps behind her. He heard her laughing as she went to the lowest deck of the ship where the crew cabins were located, and then there was silence. He bounded down after her, and just as he was about to run past his door to hers, he was grabbed by his shirt collar and jerked into his cabin. Annabeth pushed the door closed with his body, and then, she closed the distance (what little there was) between the two of them and pressed her lips to his.

After several minutes of making out, their heated kissing and touching slowed down. They sat on Percy's bed cuddling and still kissing a little for a while longer until they were finally just quietly snuggled next to one another lost in their own thoughts. Percy absentmindedly ran his fingertips up and down her forearm, and she rubbed the back of his other hand with her thumb.

"That's what you've been dreaming about, isn't it?" she asked breaking the silence.

"What is?" he asked even though he knew what she was referring to.

She looked over and up at him. "Dying. I don't know if it's you dying or someone else, but your dreams have been about death."

He sighed. "You're right, as always."

"Are you going to tell me about them, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" she asked when he didn't elaborate on his dreams.

The corner of his mouth turned up. "I suppose I have to tell you, then, but promise me you won't make too much of it," he asked, his voice turning serious. "We're on a dangerous quest, and these are just normal dreams, not demigod dreams."

She looked at him. Her gray eyes were calculating as she looked at him. Finally, she answered, "I promise I won't make too much of it, if it's not necessary."

Percy smiled and squeezed her a bit tighter in a hug. "That sounds about right." Then, his face grew more serious, and he eased up on the hug. "The dreams are just reliving the times I've nearly died, mostly."

"Mostly?" she prompted.

"Well, yeah, but sometimes I dream about when my dad explained his oath to not have any more demigod kids or about the time I saw the fates. And sometimes it's about when I found out that Thalia had died and was turned into a tree, and sometimes it's when Bianca died. Never anyone else, though," he said quietly. "It's always their deaths and my near misses."

"The children of the Big Three," she stated.

He held her chin and turned her face to look at him. "Look, Annabeth. You promised to not make too much of this. I don't want you to worry about me. I've been told plenty of times that I won't survive something, and I'm still here. Everything will be alright."

"But what if-" she started.

"Thinking about the what ifs won't get us anywhere, Wise Girl. We've got to focus on the task at hand. Just stay positive, and we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it."

She looked back down with her head on his chest and hugged him tight. "I just don't want to lose you."

Percy held her close. He didn't want to lose her either, but he couldn't promise that he would always be there. Something was different about this quest; his gut was telling him so. He just kept silent, instead, and eventually they fell asleep holding each other.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The _Ancient Days_ left the harbor at Lund on July twenty-ninth, and just as Percy had said, the monsters were thick as thieves as the ship sailed around the coast of Europe. By the time they made it to the Strait of Gibraltar, it was August thirtieth. The crew was wiped out from monster fighting and making makeshift repairs to the ship. Percy carefully navigated the ship through the strait and docked it at the Port of Gibraltar for three days. The ship had been battered by stormy seas and monsters, and it was in need of some major repairs. Not to mention, the crew needed to resupply on food and personal items before continuing on to Egypt. And, in all honesty, everyone, Percy included, just wanted to spend some time on dry land.

They spent their first day buying repair supplies. They spent the second day working from sun up till sun down repairing the ship. Then, on the third day, Annabeth activated the ship guardians, and everyone left the ship for a day on the town. The seven of them spent the first several hours sight-seeing the densely populated city. "This place is packed!" Percy stated. "And considering I was born and raised in Manhattan, that's saying something."

"They're British, you know," Sadie informed them. "They are an official British territory, and the people have full British citizenship."

"Wow! Look at that. I learned something from Sadie for a change," was Carter's reply. She slugged him in the arm.

"It's also one of the Pillars of Hercules," Annabeth told the group.

"Thank Zeus that we don't have to do a quest for that guy, again," Percy muttered.

"We'll still have to talk to him," Apollo reminded him.

"And he's your brother, so you can do the honors," Percy replied.

Apollo smirked. "And here I thought you were brave, Jackson."

"It's not about bravery," Percy stated. "It's about not wanting to kowtow to his ego. Besides, I sent a tidal wave after him last summer, and I have a feeling he will want a rematch."

Apollo laughed. "Yep, Jackson is afraid of getting shown up by Hercules."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at Apollo and squeezed Percy's hand. "Percy can handle himself, Apollo. How about we all three go greet him in the morning?"

"Why not all seven of us?" asked Sam.

"Because we have to, and you don't. Trust me; it would be best if we had back up on the ship. He really won't be happy to see any of us," Percy answered.

"So, why do you have to talk to Hercules, anyway," Carter asked.

"Because he's the guardian of the ancient lands," answered Apollo. "When Hercules was made into a god, Zeus decided to keep his power in check by having him guard the gates of Mount Olympus, but not the Olympus that moves with the heart of the west, the actual Mount Olympus that stays put in Greece. So my burly brother gets to spend his eternity here harassing demigods who come questing in the ancient lands."

"Dude, you are going to get fried for admitting that Zeus was trying to keep Hercules's power in check when he sent him here," Percy commented.

Apollo looked at him. "You're more of a match for Hercules than you think, Percy Jackson. Why do you think you were offered the spot of lieutenant in your father's army if you had accepted godhood two years ago?"

Percy waved his hand. "I figured that out a long time ago. I know what Zeus was trying to do."

"Smarter than you seem, aren't you, Jackson," observed Sadie.

Percy winked at her. "Shh…That's a secret."

The group came to an intersection, and Annabeth tugged on Percy's hand. When he looked at her, she jerked her head to the left with a questioning look on her face. Percy smiled and nodded. "Well, this is where we leave you people. Have fun, and we'll see back at the ship later this evening."

"Where are you going?" questioned Magnus.

Percy and Annabeth had already begun to walk away from the group when Annabeth called out, "Wouldn't you like to know?" The couple laughed as they continued on for a few hours of private time together.

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The next morning, Percy, Annabeth, and Apollo all took the lifeboat to Hercules's island to give him the official notice from Zeus that told the guardian god to let them pass without a quest. Percy was right that Hercules was none too happy to see him – or the other two for that matter – but they managed to get away without any serious injuries, and Percy only had to summon a seven foot wave to distract Hercules while they got back to the ship. Once they returned to the ship, Percy got them headed into the Mediterranean. And within an hour, the monsters were there. It was a long day.

The trip across the Mediterranean Sea took them from September third until September twelfth. The grueling journey was no easier than the rest of the quest had been, but at last, they reached the shore of Egypt. However, they had to go inland to Cairo, so they loaded up the lifeboat and headed up the Nile. Once they made it to Cairo, Carter and Sadie had to make a stop at the First Nome before heading into battle in Duat at the Sphinx. Their mission took two days, and Carter was severely injured and magically drained, despite their success, when Sadie had dragged him out of the Duat with her. He had ended up in the care of the magicians of the First Nome, namely Zia. He was more dead than alive for the first day, but he pulled through, regaining consciousness during the night. After resting and recuperating for a second day, he had insisted he was well enough to travel again. They had a schedule to keep, he reminded them, so they loaded up their lifeboat and headed out first thing the following morning.

They traveled back down the Nile to the Mediterranean where their ship was moored in the harbor, but before they had even gotten out of sight of the Egyptian coastline, Anubis materialized out of nowhere right in front of Percy who was at the wheel of the ship. Apollo, Carter, and Magnus were standing with him discussing the start of football season. They were all startled to silence at the sudden appearance of the Egyptian god of funerals.

"I am glad to see you still alive, Carter," Anubis said by way of greeting.

Carter reached out to shake the god's hand. "I'm glad to be alive, Anubis. These are my friends: Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase, and the Greek god Apollo," he said as he pointed to each person in turn.

Anubis smiled a bit. "Ah, yes, Apollo. It has been many years. Mortality does not suit you, my friend. You really should stop doing things to make your father angry."

Percy chuckled, but Apollo scowled and answered, "What brings you to our ship, Anubis? Visiting your girlfriend?"

"I'm afraid not," Anubis answered, suddenly serious. "Though, I will say hello before I leave you to your voyage. Actually, I'm here to give a message to Mr. Jackson."

It was Percy's turn to scowl. "You have a message for me?"

"Yes. Hades asked me to pass it along to you. He says, 'This is the last.' He said you would understand it."

Percy's knees buckled, and he gripped the wheel. "He said, 'This is the last?'"

"Yes," Anubis nodded. "I'm afraid that's all he said. Our time was cut quite short. Now, I would like to see Sadie for a minute, if you'll excuse me."

Percy nodded, his mind whirring. "Um, yes, of course. Carter, take him down to Sadie, please."

Carter gave him a calculating look, but motioned for Anubis to follow him. They were only steps away, however, when Anubis stopped and looked back at Percy. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "One more thing. Percy, you've got a good soul, a good heart. Remember that when the curse catches up to you."

Apollo followed them down to the lower decks, looking guilty and muttering something about a private discussion with Anubis, but Percy wasn't paying attention to him. His mind was spinning with the implications of the message from Hades. It had been the message Pluto had sent Hazel the night she had died back in Alaska in the forties. And then what Anubis had just said, a curse catching up to him, made him think of his recurring dream from the past several weeks. It was when his father had explained to him about the Big Three's oath during WWII to not have any more children, how the gods aren't the ones to bear the curse if they break an oath on the River Styx. Somehow he knew that was what Anubis was referring to.

Percy had forgotten that Magnus was still with him until he cleared his throat. "So…That sounded ominous."

Percy looked over at Annabeth's cousin and tried for a carefree grin. He wasn't sure he pulled it off. "Yeah, I've gotten a lot of ominous messages in my life. I've come to expect it, in fact. Don't worry about it, man." Magnus seemed to hear the dismissal because he clapped Percy on the back and headed to join everyone else below deck.

Percy stood at the wheel of the ship, guiding it as it sailed across the Mediterranean. It was a beautiful day. The salty air blew past his face, ruffling his hair, but what was normally soothing to him was barely noticed this time. It wasn't the first time that he had been told of his eminent death, but after all the dreams, Odin's message, the sheer number of monsters they were encountering, and just a sinking feeling in his gut, this was the first time he was bothered so deeply by the implication that he was doomed to die on a quest. He had so much more to lose this time, so much more he was looking forward to. Back when he was preparing to face Kronos, he hadn't allowed himself to think about a possible future. He didn't think he would live past his sixteenth birthday. But he did live. He had Annabeth, now. He found out about New Rome, had allowed himself to hope, had dared to plan, to dream. It would be crueler to die now than it would have been at sixteen.

Percy was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of raised voices coming from the side of the ship. The porthole in the dining hall must have been open. He could hear Magnus, Sadie, and Apollo. Something was wrong. With a flick of his wrist, he dropped the anchor and made his way down the hatch.

He walked through the doorway to find Apollo in Annabeth's face. She looked like she had been sucker punched and her eyes shone with unshed tears. Apollo pointed at her, his face contorted in rage. "He will die because of you, Annabeth! His fatal flaw, his loyalty to you will kill him. You made him promise to deny the power he has within him. He turns down power because of you. The stories will remember that Annabeth Chase was the death of Perseus Jackson!"

Percy wasn't even aware that he had moved, but suddenly he had Apollo by the throat, pushed up against the wall, his feet half a foot off the floor. Percy's arms shook from anger and barely controlled power. His voice was a deadly whisper. "I am captain of this ship. If you ever speak to anyone on board that way again, I will drop you into the bottom of the ocean, and you will have to wait for my father to rescue you."

A flash of fear ran through Apollo's eyes but just as quickly as it came, the anger was back. Percy dropped him. He was back on his feet in a moment. "I can only speak the truth, Jackson. You know that. And you know that I'm right. The curse will catch up with you. Achlys will kill you, revenge for what you did to her, but if you were to tap into those powers, again, you could kill her so effectively that she wouldn't reform for a millennium. But you won't. Will you? You'll stay loyal to your girlfriend, denying that power and die. And then where will your loyalty get you?"

Apollo stalked off, Carter, Magnus, and Sadie made to follow him. Anubis grabbed Sadie's arm. Sam had wrapped her arms around Annabeth's shoulders, who had lost the battle with a couple of tears and was about to lose it with the rest. Percy motioned for the other two boys to stay in the dining hall and walked over to his girlfriend. Annabeth launched herself into Percy's arms. She was trembling with the effort of not sobbing. Percy looked at Sam. "Can you take the wheel for a while, Sam? You'll have to raise the anchor."

Sam nodded. "Of course. Take all the time you need."

Percy looked to the others in the room. "Leave Apollo alone. Get the engines running. Keep us on course for Itea. I'll be back on deck as soon as I can. Lord Anubis, it was good to meet you."

The others murmured in agreement as he guided Annabeth out of the dining hall and into his cabin. He had barely shut the door to the room when Annabeth broke down, sobbing into his chest. He pulled her down onto the bed and let her cry while he smoothed her hair and whispered words of comfort to her.

At last, her sobs quieted, and they lay there in the quiet, just holding each other for several more minutes. Percy kissed her forehead. "He's wrong, you know."

Annabeth tilted her head to look at him. "Apollo?"

"Yes. He's wrong."

Annabeth looked back down. "No, he's not," she whispered.

Percy ran his hand under her chin and tilted her head back up. "Why do you think that?"

"You do give up power for me. You chose me over godhood. You chose me over a praetorship. You chose me over the power to defeat a goddess. If it weren't for me-"

"If it weren't for you," Percy interrupted, "I would already be dead. I would have never survived my first quest."

A ghost of a smile flitted across Annabeth's face before the sadness settled back in. "But you still have a habit of giving up power for me."

"Maybe I do, but what makes you think I want the power to begin with? That's where Apollo is wrong, Annabeth. I don't want the power. Never did, never will. I do want you, however, and I'll do all I can to keep you."

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she gripped him tighter. "I love you so much, Percy. I don't want to lose you. I just got you. We've made all these plans. We have a life to live. Can't the gods understand that?"

Percy tucked a lock of Annabeth's hair behind her ear. "I love you, too, Wise Girl. I don't want to leave you, either. I want us to have that future we've planned. But some things are beyond us. We've only got now. I'll do my best to stay alive, but regardless of what happens, remember I love you. I always will. And if I do die, I'll be waiting for you in Elysium, and you better make me wait for a long time."

Annabeth pushed herself up so she could look down at his face. She ran a hand through his hair and brought it to rest on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm. "How are you so calm?" she asked.

He opened his eyes and reached up, placing his hand on her cheek, too. "Life is what it is, Annabeth. We'll all die someday. The question is what are you going to do with your time?"

Annabeth leaned down and kissed him, slow and sweet at first. But soon, Percy had pulled her down, and the kiss deepened. They made out, relishing in every touch and kiss. When they came up for air, Percy just gazed at her, twirling her hair around his fingers. He thought of that future they had planned. He thought of those kids they had talked about having. He thought of their conversations of college and careers, of marriage and family.

Somewhere in his heart of hearts, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to make it back home to his mom, stepdad, and baby sister. The months of dreams and other bad omens and warnings had taught him that. He wasn't going to have that future with Annabeth, and suddenly what they had now wasn't enough. He wanted as much of that future with her he could manage. He looked at those gray eyes, the pert little nose sprinkled ever so lightly with freckles, and the words just fell out of his mouth before he had even really thought them through. "Marry me."

Her eyes widened, and her mouth made a little "o" shape. "What?"

"Marry me," he repeated with conviction.

Annabeth looked flustered. "But the gods, what they're saying. If they're right, you won't be here to get married." Her voiced hitched a little.

Percy sat them up, still facing one another. "I'm not talking about getting engaged, Annabeth. I'm talking about getting married. Tomorrow. I can get us to Greece by tomorrow, and you and I can go ashore and get married. We can stay at a hotel for the night and continue on with this quest the day after that."

She was starting to smile. "Just like that? No plans, no big ceremony? Just walk into a Greek courthouse boyfriend and girlfriend and walk out husband and wife?"

"Yes! We've already talked about this, made distant plans, but things are shaping up to be different. The gods have interfered, again. We're both eighteen, legally able to make this decision. Let's just do it."

Annabeth looked rather stunned. "I just...I don't understand. Why? You could die, Percy. Hades, I could die. Why do you want to do this all of a sudden?"

Percy held her hands. "I'm under a curse, Annabeth. I wasn't supposed to be born. Zeus and Hades have already paid the price for breaking their oaths, but my father hasn't. And I'm his only human child, as far as I know, anyway. And even if he has had another, I'm still the only one that counts toward his broken oath. I am going to die, Annabeth, and it probably will be in a few days. I just don't want my foretold death to define my last days here. I want to define them. I want to see at least one of our dreams realized. We didn't get this far just to be beaten. Let's define this: you and me together. Let's own these few days we know we have."

Annabeth looked at him. He could see through those gray eyes that the well-oiled cogs of her mind were whirring at top speed. And he could see the light go on when she had her answer, her plan. She smiled softly. "Ask me, again," she whispered.

He stood up from the bed, pulling her up with him. Then he turned and rummaged through a drawer in his small wardrobe. Once he found what he was looking for, he knelt down in front of her, grabbed her hand in his, and looked up at her. "Annabeth Chase, I love you more than life itself. I know we may only have a small amount of time left, and I want to spend that time with you by my side as my wife. Will you marry me?"

He opened the small velvet box in his hand, revealing a beautiful vintage white gold engagement ring. She pulled him up and kissed him. "Yes, of course I will marry you," she answered as he slipped the ring on her left hand.

"Where did you get the ring? I thought you weren't planning this," she asked as she studied the ring.

Percy smiled and kissed her again. "Mom made me bring it. She said she had a feeling I would need it. It was her mother's. It was one of the only things she had left of her parents'."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "And she's letting you give it to me?"

"She loves you, too. She said it would look good on you, and I think she is absolutely right."

Annabeth's eyes twinkled, and she laughed. "I can't believe we're doing this." Suddenly, she stopped, stepped back from Percy, and gripped his shoulders. "Marriage laws in Greece! What if they don't let us get elope on a whim? I've got to research this."

Percy laughed as she flew out of his cabin. He heard her go into her cabin, which was next to his and grab her laptop, rummaging for the cord. She was back in his cabin after a minute, plugging in her charging laptop, and settling herself on the bed. Percy sat down at his desk. He had his Atlas of Europe, a notepad, and a pencil scattered around him. He needed to decide on a good destination. He had some calculations to make because he knew that to get to Greece by morning, he would have to push the ship at top speed for several hours. He wouldn't be able to get much further than the nearest coast, but he also needed to get them as close to Itea as possible.

Percy occasionally murmured to himself as he measured and made calculations to a few possible destinations. Annabeth was reading silently, her lips moving as her finger scanned through information she found on the internet.

After several minutes, Annabeth huffed and cursed. "We can't elope. They require too many documents, and you can't get married the same day you buy a marriage license there, either."

Percy put his pencil down and looked at her. She looked like she wanted to cry, again. "Hey, we'll figure something out. Being officially married would be nice, but I think we can be just as married without a government's approval."

She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to one side. "So we just exchange vows with one another?"

Percy shrugged. "Something like that. I mean, we could make it a little more elaborate, if you want. Dress up, buy a couple of rings, I don't know."

Annabeth smiled and a gleam came into her eyes. "I have an idea. Let me look some more things up." She turned back to her computer, her fingers flying as she typed.

Percy returned to his calculations. He had a couple of possibilities, but the one he really wanted was, of course, the furthest. He was sure he could do it, though, with help from his friends.

Annabeth patted him on the arm, fairly bouncing as she sat. "Percy, I think I've got it. Do you have a destination yet?"

He looked at her grinning. "Have you ever heard of Cape Sounion?"

Her eyes sparkled and she grinned even wider. "The site of Poseidon's ancient temple. I hear it's beautiful in the sunset."

Percy nodded. "Will that be okay with you? Exchanging vows on the beach, even at sunset, if you want."

"That sounds perfect, especially considering what all I have in mind. Seeing as how we're the children of ancient gods, and we're planning on getting married in an ancient country, even on the shores of the city where your godly dad's ancient temple was located, I thought we could follow the ancient marriage traditions. Well, a lot of them, anyway, because no one is going to buy or sell me. I am a person, not a cow."

Percy laughed. "I wouldn't say that too loud, if I were you. No need in giving a certain goddess of cows any ideas."

Annabeth groaned. "Don't remind me, Seaweed Brain."

Percy climbed onto the bed, scooted close to her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, peering at her computer. "So, tell me about these ancient marriage traditions. What will we do?"

They spent the next hour discussing marriage traditions, planning out their wedding day, and planning how to make the 1800 mile trip in one night without killing Percy. At long last, they emerged from the cabin. They had decided to keep their plans a secret, so Annabeth had put the ring in her pocket. They made it back to the dining hall around one o'clock in the afternoon. After eating some lunch, explaining the plans for getting to Greece overnight, Percy went back to his cabin for a nap. He was going to need all the rest he could get.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you're enjoying it. I know these first few chapters have been a little sluggish, but I hope you'll stick around for the rest of them. It does get better. Please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, KC, or MCA. All rights belong to Rick Riordan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was two in the morning, and Percy was standing at the prow of the ship willing it to move as fast as he could push it across the Mediterranean en route to Greece. Carter was at the wheel, steering the ship to the right place by magic and just plain human know-how. They had been at this for the better part of eight hours. The rest of the crew, when not taking a turn at the wheel, was making sure Percy was being drenched in seawater. They had him standing in two 5-gallon buckets that they kept having to refill nearly every hour since his body was constantly taking it in to keep him hydrated and his power as close to full strength as possible. In between bucket refills, every fifteen minutes, like clockwork, someone was dumping water over his head and sticking a straw from a large glass of water or nectar in his mouth. Even with all of that, Percy was leaning on the railing of the ship, unable to keep himself standing without support. They were still forty-five minutes away from the shore of Cape Sounion in Greece, but Percy was about to collapse from keeping the _Ancient Days_ running at top speed for so long. He was going to have to let the engines and the rest of the crew take over for the final leg of the journey.

Just then, Annabeth came up behind him with another glass of nectar. Percy slumped further onto the railing. "Percy, we're close enough, let us take over from here. You'll kill yourself."

Percy moaned as his legs gave way. Annabeth just barely caught him. "Magnus! Carter! Help me!" he heard her call out. Within seconds, he felt his friends gripping him under his shoulders and lifting him back to his feet. Somehow, with Annabeth's help, Percy's feet were pulled from the buckets, and the guys started leading (read dragging) him back to his cabin on the third deck of the trireme.

"Crap, Percy," Magnus rasped out. "How is a guy your size so freaking heavy?"

"Seriously, man, it's like you're made of solid gold or something," Carter agreed with a grunt.

The two guys hauled Percy onto his bed, and Percy felt Annabeth removing his shoes. "Quit being wimps, you two, muscle weighs more than fat. Does Percy look like he has an ounce of fat on him anywhere?"

Percy was drifting off and didn't really hear Magnus and Carter's responses, but it was Annabeth. No one disagreed with her unless they felt like hurting and being reminded of just exactly how they were wrong for the rest of the day.

He heard the guys leaving the room, closing the door behind them and felt Annabeth sit down beside him. "Gods, Seaweed Brain, I can't believe you did that. Nearly 1,800 miles in nearly eight hours. You never cease to amaze me."

"'Cause yuh-am amazin'…" Percy replied, more asleep than awake.

Annabeth laughed. "Amazingly exhausted. Sleep, Percy. I'll see you in the morning."

Annabeth kissed him, and Percy smiled, falling into a deep sleep instantly.

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Six hours later, Percy woke up from what felt like the proverbial sleep of death. He rolled over, stiff and groaning. He had really taxed himself the night before, but the ship was staying in one place, which meant the crew had sailed it the final 150 miles of their journey without his help. Thank the gods, he thought.

Percy pushed himself off the bed and made his way to his small private bathroom, a perk of being captain of the ship. He stripped off his salt encrusted clothes and got into the shower, anxious to start the day. It was the first day of the rest of his life, after all, and if several gods from three pantheons were to be believed, that life was going to be remarkably short, which was why he had pushed the _Ancient Days_ so hard the night before.

Within a few minutes, Percy was clean, clothed, and walking into the ship's dining hall. Apollo was the only one in the room. Percy figured that everyone else was still catching up on sleep after their all-nighter on deck.

"Perseus," Apollo greeted. His voice held an unmistakably large amount of frustration and anger.

"Apollo," Percy replied, just as cooly, making his way to the coffee pot that Annabeth had set on a timer, which Percy was eternally grateful for.

"Why are we here, at Sounion? We are supposed to be going to Delphi. Our quest? You do remember that, right? We've only been at it for two months now."

Percy took a sip of his black coffee. "Your quest, Apollo. Your quest. You're the one who caused the problem. You're the one who's supposed to fix it."

"Mine. Ours. No one cares, Jackson. The fact is, your little side trip here is costing us precious time." Apollo was standing now, his face red with anger. If he hadn't been condemned to a sixteen year old mortal existence until the cave of the oracle was recovered from Python, Percy would have been a touch scared of the sun god, but as it was, Percy was the one with the age and the power in the room, and they both knew it.

"I made time for my 'little side trip,' as you call it. Don't worry. There will still be ample time for you to complete your quest. And quite frankly, if I'm going to die on this trip, like you seem to think, I'm going make certain I see my dad's temple before I do." Percy turned toward the small kitchen, ending the conversation, and began to rummage through the fridge for breakfast supplies. The others would be waking up soon, and it was his day to cook breakfast. Normally, he would whip up pancakes and bacon with fresh sliced strawberries and bananas, but today he was in a hurry. He and Annabeth had important, secret plans, so he went with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with butter and jelly.

Apollo didn't say anything else for the time being, and Percy really hoped the un-god would just drop the subject entirely. After nearly four months of his company, Apollo was getting on Percy's last nerve. If he wasn't speaking in bad poetry (mostly haikus), he was lamenting his mortal existence, pretty much being a useless lump of flesh, hitting on every female (and a few males) in sight, and bossing everyone around.

Percy was fishing bacon out of the sizzling skillet half an hour later when a pair of cool hands snuck up under the hem of his shirt and settled on his sides. He jumped and cursed. "Annabeth!"

Annabeth laughed. "Your mother would wash your mouth out with soap if she heard you say that, especially first thing in the morning."

Percy smirked. "Where do you think I learned it?"

"Not from Sally Jackson, that's for sure." Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him.

Percy laughed. "Alright, so I might have picked it up somewhere else. Now are you going to help me get this stuff to the table or not?"

"So this is how it's going to be, huh? No morning greeting, just straight to ordering me around." Annabeth's eyes twinkled, and she couldn't shake the huge smile stretched across her face. Her hair was hanging down her back in damp curls, and she was barefoot, her toenails freshly painted sea green. Percy thought she was absolutely beautiful. He set the pan of scrambled eggs he was holding down on the counter, grabbed Annabeth by the waist, pulled her to him, dipped her back, and kissed her fiercely. She didn't waste any time in kissing him back with the same ferocity.

When the kiss ended, they were both breathless, and Percy leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Good morning, Wise Girl. You're looking beautiful, today." Annabeth made a funny little noise in her throat like a part of her was melting, and Percy grinned as he straightened her back up.

"Oh, don't mind the rest of us. Go ahead and make out while we watch instead of eating that breakfast you're supposed to be cooking," a British accented voice quipped from the table across the room.

"Shut up, Sadie," Percy replied as he flung a piece of toast at her Frisbee-style. Annabeth blushed and stepped back from Percy, straightening her orange camp t-shirt, and Carter snorted as Sadie slowed the toast to a stop in mid-air and grabbed it before spreading a liberal amount of butter and strawberry jelly on its surface.

The others, except for Apollo, who had left the room after Percy began to cook breakfast, were gathered at the table, too, with various looks of amusement on their faces. Percy and Annabeth had been careful around their friends to not go overboard with the PDA, so seeing the two of them let loose a little around the whole group, even if unintentionally, was more of a cause for laughter than grumbling.

Percy and Annabeth brought the food to the table and sat down with their friends. Breakfast was one of the liveliest they had had on their quest. Apollo reappeared about half-way through in a much better mood. Percy laughed until his sides hurt, and he was short of breath.

After breakfast was eaten and the kitchen was cleaned up, Annabeth and Percy came onto the deck, ready with a backpack and a garment bag to disembark. The others, thinking that the two were off on a secret mission for Aphrodite, were gathered around them to see them off.

"You're sure you don't need our help?" Sam asked. It was a question that had been asked about half a dozen times already, but Annabeth and Percy just smiled.

"We're sure," Percy answered. "Just buy those groceries and enjoy your day off. Check out the town, go to Athens, even. It's just a short drive away."

"We'll be back by noon tomorrow, at the latest. It's a simple mission. Nothing to worry about," Annabeth assured her friends.

Magnus hugged her tight. "Just be safe. I know what you said, but still any quest from the gods is dangerous."

Annabeth hugged her cousin back. "Don't worry. Trust me, Percy and I have never had such a straight-forward mission. We will be fine."

Percy touched Annabeth's elbow. "We've got a lot to do, Wise Girl. We need to get going."

She nodded, released Magnus, grabbed Percy's hand, and the two of them waved to their friends one last time as they climbed off the ship.

Percy and Annabeth spent the next few hours renting a hotel room, buying wedding bands, buying food for their various sacrifices, and finding a head scarf for Annabeth. Once they had done that and had a small lunch, they found a secluded section of beach for their little ceremony.

Together, they prepared a campfire. Then, Percy sat down with the bag on the sand a few feet away. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked as he pulled a smaller canvas bag from the backpack.

Annabeth sat down beside him, squeezed his hand, and smiled. "I'm sure, Percy. You're not supposed to be here for this part, anyway. Go do what you need to do. Then, get some rest. I know you're still tired from last night."

"Okay, then." He kissed her softly. "I'll see you back at the room when you get done here."

She nodded. "I know. Now, get going."

Percy walked off the beach and went to what was left of his father's temple.

The temple was in ruins, of course, and really, they looked pretty much like any other ruins he had seen on his travels the past two summers. Rocks that had been carved and hewn together that at one point had probably been a sight to see, but now were worn from weather, age, and tourists. Despite all of that, however, these ruins seemed to call out to Percy. It was the same feeling he had last year when he, Annabeth, and Piper had stood in the very spot where Athena and Poseidon had competed for Athens. There was something special about this cluster of carved rocks that formed the outline of a building. He could feel the sea almost thrum with excitement. It was as if it knew that after years and years, a child of its master stood at the place built to honor his father. His own heart beat quickly as he looked out at the ruins and the ocean beyond it, and he made his way to the temple itself.

Percy stood in the center of the temple, trying to imagine what the builders had in their mind's eye when they planned it. Annabeth had told him that construction of the temple had never been completed because of an attack by the Persians. Regardless of what it would have looked like, Percy thought they had chosen a perfect location. The temple sat high on a cliff overlooking the sea. From his spot, he could see for miles and miles. Nothing obstructed the view of the ocean from the three sides of the temple that faced it.

After taking it all in for several minutes, walking around the perimeter, carving his name at the base of a column like so many others had done through the centuries (except that he chose to write his in ancient Greek), and enjoying the cool breeze that blew through the whole place, he made his way down the cliff side and to the beach. He pulled five drachmas, an apple, two of his mother's cookies (She had supplied him with frozen dough so he could make fresh cookies whenever he wanted on this quest.), and a piece of ambrosia from his bag.

He closed his eyes, bowed his head, and prayed, "Um, Father. It's me, Percy. A lot has been going on these past two and half months. We're nearing the end of this quest, and well, it would seem I'm fated to die – again. I think it'll happen this time, though, but I'm not really scared. More angry, I guess, maybe at the gods, just you, or me. Maybe all of the above, but at any rate since it's looking like I won't be coming home from this thing, Annabeth and I have decided to get married today. It won't be official. I wish it were, but we didn't have the time we needed to meet all the legal requirements, so we're doing this our own way, following some of the ancient traditions. She's off making sacrifices to Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite right now, and we'll do some more for all the collective gods later, but I felt like I should make a sacrifice to you, in private.

"I guess our marriage will be short, but I'm asking for your blessing anyway, that we'll pack as much love and devotion to one another as we can in the few days that we have. And also that I won't leave Annabeth wondering how much I love her. I want her to be able to move on after I'm gone, but I don't want to leave her doubting how I strongly I feel, how much I wish I could stay.

"So, this sacrifice is for you. Please accept it from me, your son. I may be a bit angry, but I still respect you and want to make you proud, Dad. Thanks for everything."

Percy placed the food and coins in the surf and watched as it was pulled out to sea. A few feet out, it all vanished and a cool, salty breeze ruffled Percy's hair. His prayer had been answered.

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Annabeth sat down on the sand and opened the backpack. She pulled out nine drachmas, a blueberry muffin, a loaf of fresh bread, three apples, a chunk of cheese, a flask of nectar, a pair of scissors, and her old childhood teddy bear. She divided the bread and cheese into thirds. She divided the coins: five, two, and two. Then she took the scissors and cut off a lock of her hair. Once she had made her preparations, she took a deep breath and began her prayers. She started with Artemis.

"Artemis, goddess of maidens and childhood, I come to you with offerings, thanking you for keeping me safe as a child, for bringing friends into my life who got me to camp, for your blessing in my skills as a fighter. Thank you for rescuing me all those years ago when you took the sky for me. Thank you for approving of Percy. That's why I'm really here. He and I are going to exchange wedding vows this evening, right here on this spot. We don't have time to go through the legal channels to make it official, so we thought we would follow the ancient customs. With that in mind, I offer you two drachmas, some bread, cheese, nectar, this lock of my hair, and my childhood teddy bear. I ask that you be with me during this transition from youth to adulthood. Guide me as I become Percy's wife. Thank you, Lady Artemis."

As she finished the prayer, she placed the sacrifice into the flames of the campfire. Just like at Camp Half-Blood, the items vanished instead of burning, but they still left behind the scent of pine needles and fire roasted meat. Artemis was satisfied with the sacrifice.

Next, Annabeth prayed to Aphrodite. She thanked the goddess for orchestrating the meeting between Percy and herself. She asked for their marriage, short as it would probably be, to be blessed. And she finished by thanking Aphrodite, again, for bringing Percy into her life, speaking of how much he meant to her and how much she wished to impart that to him before his days came to an end. She then placed two drachmas, an apple, a chunk of bread, and a chunk of cheese into the fire and poured about a third of the nectar on it. The food instantly disappeared, leaving the scent of chocolate covered strawberries behind. Aphrodite was pleased.

Annabeth had saved her mother for last. If any of the gods were going to disapprove of this marriage, it would Athena. The goddess had made it perfectly clear that she had no love for Percy, but Annabeth still had to try.

"Mother, it's me Annabeth. I'm here in Sounion, Greece. We are nearing the end of our quest with Apollo. Percy and I have taken a short break from questing, however, because we have decided to marry one another since it seems Percy is fated to die. We do not have the time to make things legal, though, so we are doing it this way, the ancient way. I'm asking for your blessing, Mother. I'm asking that you accept Percy as the love of my life. He has been nothing but good to me since we first met. He has defended your home and your throne. He stayed with me through everything, even Tartarus. He is a good man. I just want to be able to call him mine, no matter how short of a time we have left together.

"With all of that said, here is an offering for you: five drachmas, a blueberry muffin, your favorite, an apple, some bread and cheese, and some nectar. Please, accept it."

Annabeth placed the food items into the fire, and nothing happened. She poured the remaining nectar onto it, and the flames sputtered. The smell of roasting apple and burning bread reached her nose, and Annabeth felt her eyes prickle with tears. Just as she was concluding that her mother would not be accepting Annabeth's marriage to Percy, the flames roared back to life and the food vanished, and the scent of peppermint tea filled the air. A few tears fell down Annabeth's face as she closed her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Mom."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review!

And I know that Apollo is really OOC, but I figure he's a god that's been stripped of his godliness and tossed from Olympus as a minor in NYC. That would make me pretty grumpy. And poor Percy is already stressed, so Apollo, even when he is in a good mood annoys the crap out of him because he won't leave Percy alone. Besides, it worked better for my fic if Apollo was channeling some of Mr. D's grumpiness.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, KC, or MGA. Rick Riordan does.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Annabeth walked into their hotel room. It was quite nice, actually. Percy still had that black Olympian credit card that Hermes had given him two years prior, but it was rarely used. Mostly they just used it if they had nothing else with them, but they both figured that with all they had done for the gods over the years, one stay at a hotel would be just fine. So they rented one of the cheaper rooms at one of the best hotels in the town. Despite being a "cheap" room, it still had come with plenty of amenities, such as Jacuzzi bathtub large enough for two, walk-in shower, a mini-fridge stocked with water bottles and snacks, internet, and lots of square footage. There was even a small couch in one corner of the room, facing a large flat-screen TV that mounted to the wall.

Percy was stretched out on the couch, snoring softly. She walked over to him and smiled when she spotted the tiny bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. She loved to tease him mercilessly about how he had never out-grown that. It was funny to see him get so defensive about something so silly, especially since he knew she didn't mean anything by the teasing. She ran her hand lightly through his tousled hair. For a son of the sea god who perpetually smelled like the ocean, his hair was always soft. He turned his head to her touch, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Annabeth, you're back." His voice was husky from sleep. "What time is it?"

She glanced at her watch. "It's almost four. Have you been asleep long?"

Percy sat up and stretched. "No, I went to my dad's temple and made a sacrifice to him. I didn't get back here until about two-thirty. How did it go at the beach?"

Annabeth curled up next to him on the loveseat. "It went well. All my sacrifices were accepted. I thought my mom wasn't going to accept the one for her for a moment, but then it vanished, too. How about with you at the temple?"

"He accepted it. I think the temple would have been something to see back in the day. Maybe we will have time tomorrow for you to see it. You would like the architecture and the view."

"That would be nice," she murmured. She could feel herself dozing off. Warm and safe next to Percy was the best place to be. Percy was running his fingers through her hair. She could feel every point where they were touching, and it warmed her to the core like hot chocolate on a cold night.

Soon, Percy was gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, Wise Girl. We've got a big evening ahead of us." Annabeth opened her eyes. She was lying on the loveseat, a blanket draped over her. Percy was squatting beside her; he smelled like his Old Spice aftershave. He smiled at her. "Hey. The bathroom's all yours. I just finished up."

Annabeth looked at her watch. They had dinner reservations at six-thirty. It was only five, so she had plenty of time. She stood up and stretched. "I didn't realize I was that tired."

Percy smirked at her. "You got less sleep than I did last night."

She started gathering everything she would need to get entirely ready before leaving the bathroom. She wanted Percy to get the full effect when she stepped out. She put her toiletries bag over her shoulder, after shoving a bra and panties in it. She grabbed her dress by the hanger, scooped up her sandals and made her way to the bathroom. Percy laughed at her from across the room. "Are you moving in?"

Channeling the maturity that came with her newly acquired adult status, Annabeth twisted back towards him and stuck her tongue out. Percy laughed outright. "The woman I'm about to marry, ladies and gentlemen."

Annabeth hung her dress on the hook behind the door and set down her bag and shoes before going back into the bedroom. Percy was at the full-length mirror buttoning the last two buttons on his blue button-down. She walked up to him, turned him around, and kissed him. "You can bet your blue buttons that you're about to marry me. And you better like it, too."

Percy gripped her hips, pulling her closer to him. "You can bet those strappy sandals of yours that I like it," he whispered. He kissed her again. She relaxed her body against his, and he pulled her impossibly closer. Her fingers found his hair. Gods, the things this man did to her, she thought. She didn't want the moment to end, but too soon, he pulled back, resting his forehead one hers. They were both panting and smiling like fools. "Have I ever told you how distracting you are, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth laughed. "Look who's talking. Have you seen yourself in those jeans and that shirt?"

Percy was laughing his deep, rumbling laugh. "Why, yes, I have. I'm hot stuff."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and headed back to the bathroom. "Clearly you've been hanging around Leo far too much. His ego is rubbing off on you."

Percy was running a comb through his hair. He smirked at her in the mirror. He motioned for her to keep moving. "Shoo. I've stuff to do. I can't have you in here distracting me."

Annabeth giggled a little and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She bathed, taking special care with everything she did: shaving, hair washing, face scrubbing. She used a special lavender scented soap, even rubbing in matching scented oil after shaving and bathing. Her shampoo and conditioner was lemon scented, as always.

After her bath, Annabeth dressed in a sleeveless white sundress with a small floral print. She put on those strappy sandals Percy had teased her about and went to work on her make-up, which wasn't much. A little lip gloss, mascara, blush, and eye shadow later, and she was ready to tackle her hair. She unwrapped it from its towel turban and brushed through it. Then, she pulled out her mousse and went to work. She decided to let it hang free, so she parted it on the side, scrunching it as she did. Then, it was onto her fingernails. She used a little scrub brush to clean under the nails, and then she clipped, buffed, and painted a layer of clear polish onto them. Lastly, she pulled out her new white lacy scarf. It was nice and wide, so instead of using it as a scarf, she draped it over her shoulders like a shawl. She slipped on her engagement ring and gave herself one final once over in the mirror. Deciding that she liked what she saw, she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.

Percy was sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked up when the door opened, and Annabeth watched with satisfaction as his jaw dropped. He stood up slowly as she walked over to him. She smirked at him as she pushed his mouth closed. "You'll catch flies with your mouth open like that."

He blushed, still flustered. "I…Sweet Hestia, Annabeth, you're gorgeous! Just look at yourself."

"I did," she said with a wink. "I'm hot stuff."

That seemed to clear the fog in his mind because he laughed, scooped her up, and spun her around. "You distracting, egotistical woman, you. I am so glad I'm marrying you."

Annabeth was giddy with excitement, love, happiness, and every other good feeling in the universe. Mostly, though, she was giddy with seeing Percy so carefree, so relaxed, so thoroughly happy. He was practically glowing. She clung to him laughing. "We're not going to get anything done if we don't get out of here."

Percy gave her a quick kiss and put her down. "Then, let's get out of here. I'm starving anyway."

Annabeth shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

They reached out and took each other's hand and walked out the door.

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"I called your dad while you were in the shower." Dinner was winding down. It had been a delicious meal, and they were just finishing their shared dessert, some kind of decadent chocolate cake.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Asking his permission, were you?"

Percy shifted in his seat and shrugged one shoulder. "Yes, and no. Mostly, I just had to talk to him first, man to man. You're a grown woman. You know your own mind, but as a sign of respect, I had to talk to him, let him know our plans, tell him why. It was the right thing to do."

Annabeth put her fork down, reached across the table, and grabbed his hand. "I understand, Percy, and thank you. That means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to him."

Percy was smiling. "Anything for you, Annabeth."

They finished their meal, paid the waiter, and had him take their picture before heading back out to the beach. As they walked out the door, Annabeth pulled the scarf up over her head. The lowering of the veil was an important part of ancient Greek wedding customs. She had decided to modify that custom some by using a scarf draped over her hair. The pair was quiet as they made their way to their little spot on the beach.

The sun was already dipping below the horizon when they arrived. Percy quickly revived their fire while Annabeth pulled the remaining food from their little canvas bag. They had another loaf of bread, a large chunk of cheese, a roasted leg of lamb tightly wrapped in foil and a Ziplock bag, a can of Diet Coke, and a bottle of wine*.

Quietly, reverently, Percy and Annabeth unwrapped and opened all the food. Then, holding hands, they took turns petitioning the gods to bless their marriage and thanking them for bringing the two of them together. Then they placed the food in the fire and poured the wine and coke in last. The food all vanished instantly, and the drinks didn't cause even a flicker. The scent that rose up from the flames was sweet and tangy, though neither Percy nor Annabeth could say what it was exactly.

At last the moment had come. Percy and Annabeth turned to face one another in the firelight. They held hands and were quiet for a minute. Percy could sense the ocean. What had been surf covered waves rapidly hitting the shore when they got to the beach had calmed until there was only the gentlest lapping of water. It was as if even the ocean was waiting in bated breath to hear the vows that they were about to speak to one another.

"They're listening," Annabeth whispered.

Percy knew she meant the gods, and he knew she was right. It wasn't just the ocean that had calmed. All around them, the world had become still, almost silent. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he decided not to think about it. He had more important things to tend to at the moment.

"This is your last chance, Wise Girl. Back out now, or forever hold your peace."

Annabeth's gray eyes danced in the light of the fire. Her smile was radiant. The lacy scarf draped over her curls seemed to bring out the innocence that he knew was within her. That innocence was one of the things he loved best about her. She shook her head ever so slightly. "When have you ever known me to back out on anything?"

Percy squeezed her hands. "Okay, then. Let's do this." She squeezed his hands in return, silently encouraging him to start.

He took a breath. "Annabeth, when I first met you, I thought I had lost everything good in my life. Then you happened. We fought. Gods, did we ever fight, but I knew that somehow you were going to change my life, that if I had you in my life, I would always have something good in it. You irritated me, and I wanted to hate you, but I couldn't. By the end of that first summer, that first quest, even, I knew I never could hate you. You had become one of my best friends.

"As the years continued, no matter what happened, I knew I could count on you to be there, even when we were as mad as Hades at each other and weren't speaking. You were never far from my mind. When you were kidnapped by Atlas, I learned that I couldn't do this demigod gig without you. I needed you, and yes, that scared the crap out of me. I had some stupid responses to that newfound knowledge, but in the end, every time, I always chose you. I had to come back to you.

"There's never been anyone else, Annabeth. Only you. And I promise you, here and now, in the presence of the gods of Olympus, apparently, and nature itself, that I will always love you. I will never betray you. I'll be there with you through thick and thin and everything in between till death do we part, even if that's sooner rather than later." His voice broke on that line, but he soldiered through. "Will you take me to be your husband, Annabeth Chase?"

Annabeth had a tear running down her cheek. Percy reached up, brushed it away, and took her hand again as she answered. "Yes, I do take you as my husband." She slid the wedding ring onto his left ring finger.

Percy smiled and gave her hands another squeeze. "That's good to hear."

She laughed a little. "My turn, now. Percy Jackson, you are the riptide in my life: the current that took me by surprise and swept me out to sea. I didn't just want to hate you, I tried to hate you. I thought I could hate you, but then you went and asked me about myself, my family. And you listened. You encouraged me to contact my dad again. You stuck by me when I was downright mean to you. You saw through my fierce exterior to the girl inside and by the gods if you wouldn't let up until you brought that girl back out into the light of day. You drove me crazy, to be honest. But now, one of the things I love most about you is your ability to bring out the best in people. You dig until you find it, and then you drag it out kicking and screaming for the entire world to see. I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I would still be this unloving, unyielding person, closed off to everyone, only letting the warrior be seen. I would be bitter, family-less, and probably friendless. You bring out the best in people and bring them together in a way that no one else can.

"Until you came along, I never wanted to follow anyone. I was always the leader. But you, I'll follow you anywhere, but more than that, I want to be the one person you can always depend on being there with you. I want to be the person in your corner, the person at your back, the person at your side. I promise that's what I'll be.

"I love you, Percy, and I want to spend every moment that we have left being your wife, your partner in life. I promise to always love you, respect you, and stay by your side for as long as we both shall live. Do you take me to be your wife, Percy Jackson?"

She sniffled a bit as another tear ran down her cheek. Percy brushed that one away, too. "Yes, I do take you as my wife." He slipped a wedding band on her finger, nestling it snugly next to the engagement ring.

Annabeth smiled. "Then you may kiss the bride, Percy."

Percy laughed, drew her close, and lowered the scarf back to her shoulders. They kissed and suddenly the world around them exploded in sound. Waves crashed on the beach, the wind swirled around them, birds twittered, a wolf howled in the distance, even the fire seemed to burn brighter.

The couple pulled back from the kiss just in time for an envelope to fall from the sky right into Percy's hands. The envelope was a familiar blue color with the words "Percy and Annabeth Jackson" written in his father's script across the front. Percy turned the envelope over and opened it. Out slipped three pieces of paper. One was a note written on gray paper with an owl embossed at the top as a letterhead. Percy handed that to Annabeth who read aloud, "Dear Annabeth, Congratulations. Your husband's father and I would like to offer you two a small gift on this occasion. You'll find it enclosed. All you have to do is register it with the city officials tomorrow. Everything else has been cared for. Sincerely, your mother Athena. P.S. The muffin was delicious. P.P.S. Poseidon says his cookies were delicious, too."

Percy and Annabeth shared a look, and Percy unfolded the second and third papers. They were marriage licenses: a copy in Greek and a copy in English, a real official marriage license. Their marriage was legal and binding. No matter what happened over the next few days, Percy and Annabeth would always be recognized as husband and wife. They kissed again. Then they raised their heads to look at the sky. "Thank you," they intoned simultaneously.

After another hug and a kiss, they placed the marriage license into their canvas bag. Then Annabeth turned to Percy. "There's still one more custom I think we ought to observe."

"And what is that?" Percy asked.

"A bath in holy water."

Percy looked at her. "Holy water? Where are we going to find that?"

Annabeth smiled and pointed to the ocean. "What water could be holier in the Greek pantheon than the realm of Poseidon?"

Percy cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "You do have a point."

He gave Annabeth just enough time to take off her sandals before grabbing her hand and running down the beach into the surf. Soon he was pulling them under the water, forming an air bubble for Annabeth, and practicing his underwater kissing.

Percy didn't know how long they were below the surface, but they eventually came back up. The fire had died down but was still going. Their bag was still in the same spot. They walked back up, and Annabeth grabbed the bag while Percy doused the fire. She had taken out a flashlight and turned it on.

Within in twenty minutes they were back at their hotel room. Annabeth unlocked the door, and Percy immediately scooped her up again. "I do believe I'm supposed to carry you across the threshold, Mrs. Jackson."

Annabeth shook her head and smiled as he carried her through the door. She pushed it closed, and he stood her back on her feet, then turned and locked it. And it wasn't unlocked until they were ready to check out the following morning.

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A/N: *In Greece 18 year olds can legally buy alcohol. I Googled it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next morning, Percy used the room's telephone to call his mother and Paul in New York. He had meant to call the night before, but he had gotten understandably distracted. However, despite it being about three in the morning in New York when Percy's call came through, he was greeted by his mom's sleepy voice. She had vowed to never let the phone go to voice mail after missing Percy's call from Alaska the previous summer if Percy or Annabeth or both of them were away because of camp or the gods. Percy felt bad about waking her, but he wanted to tell her about getting married. He knew she would want to know, and he could only guarantee having time and a phone nearby right then. For the next several minutes Percy gave her the short version of what had been happening on their quest, about some of the gods' thoughts that he might die, and his and Annabeth's decision to get married. She asked for all the details of their "wedding," and he handed the phone to Annabeth to let her answer those questions. Then, baby Hope started to cry, so they said "I love you," exchanged goodbyes, and hung up the phone.

Percy and Annabeth had checked out of their hotel room by 9:30. The desk clerk gave them directions to the city offices, so they made that their first stop. They had to be at the offices early enough in the day, that they didn't have to wait long to register their marriage license. By the time they reached the temple of Poseidon, it was nearly eleven and getting hot. Annabeth marveled at the genius of the engineers when she read that they had designed the columns to have fewer grooves because it would lessen the surface area that would be exposed to the salty sea air. Percy showed her where he had carved his name, and she promptly carved hers, also in ancient Greek, beside his.

Soon, however, it was time to head back to the _Ancient Days_. They didn't want to worry their friends, and they had a quest to complete.

Percy felt something like a weight settle back on him as they boarded the bus that would take them back down the cliff side. Beside him Annabeth sighed. "Well, the honeymoon's over. Time to get back to real life."

"I suppose so," Percy answered heavily.

Annabeth looked at him, a glint of humor in her eyes. "What do you think their reactions will be?"

Percy chuckled. "Entertaining. Except for Sadie, she'll be out for blood."

"True," Annabeth laughed. "Of course, Magnus might get to you first."

"Poseidon's underpants! He's going to go all protective cousin on me, and whip out that talking sword. I'll probably have to fight the thing."

Annabeth swatted his arm. "Quit being so melodramatic. Between you and Jack, you're the better swordsman, hands down."

Percy rubbed his arm. "First off, ow, Mrs. Jackson. And second off, what Jack lacks in swordsmanship, he more than makes up for in speed. That thing is freaking fast. You try dueling with him again sometime."

"First off, I did not hurt you, Mr. Jackson. Secondly, Mrs. Jackson has a very nice ring to it. And thirdly, I will not give that sword the satisfaction of beating me ever again."

Percy laughed and pulled her as close to his side as he could with an armrest between them. "You're never going to forgive Jack for that, are you?"

"You've got that right." Annabeth's eyes twinkled. "But seriously, I was sparring with a dagger. There's no chink in the armor of a floating sword."

"So you're saying it's not your fault that you lost the duel."

She kissed his cheek. "I knew you would catch on." Percy just laughed as he leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and laced his fingers with hers.

They were quiet for the rest of the ride. Once they got off the bus, they were just a few blocks from the harbor. They held hands and made their way to the ship. The rest of the crew was watching from the deck when Percy and Annabeth came into sight of the ship. The two waved and smiled. The gangplank had already been lowered. Percy and Annabeth started walking up it.

"I'll have you two know that you're late. It's twelve-oh-three right now," quipped Sadie.

"Sorry. I wanted to threaten the bus driver with Riptide to make him speed up, but Annabeth wouldn't let me." Somehow Percy kept a straight face as he said that.

"Whipped," was Apollo's sardonic reply.

Percy was already concentrating on raising the gangplank and didn't reply. That didn't stop Annabeth, however. "And you wish you were whipped, Apollo."

Percy choked and nearly dropped the gangplank. Carter raised his eyebrows and muttered, "Burn…" under his breath, and everyone other than Apollo was fighting a losing battle with not laughing.

Apollo glared at them. "I am still a god!" he declared.

Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder, her eyes still twinkling. "Yes, you are. I'm sorry, Lord Apollo."

Apollo took a breath, mollified. "You're forgiven this time."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go put these things away," she replied indicating the backpack and garment bag she had set down on the deck.

"Yes, please do, and Percy, if you would get this ship going. We've got a quest to complete. I would like to have my godly powers back ASAP," ordered Apollo.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Here, let me grab that backpack, Annabeth." She slung the pack on her back, and the two girls made their way down the stairs.

Percy clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Alright, let's get this ship moving." He stretched out his hands, and the ship came to life: ropes untied and wound themselves onto the deck, sails unfurled, the rudder adjusted, and the ship began to move out of the harbor.

Magnus, Carter, Sadie, and Apollo just watched it all happen. "You are a true son of Poseidon," Apollo spouted.

"What makes you say that?" Percy had made his way to the wheel of the ship and was guiding it out of the harbor.

"You're a show-off, but dang if you don't know exactly what you're doing, just like him." Apollo sounded more in awe than annoyed.

"I never get tired of seeing that," Carter stated. Sadie rolled her eyes at him.

Percy laughed. "Alright, crew. Let's get those engines going, the GPS programmed, and head down for some lunch."

Carter set to work on the GPS. Magnus walked over to get the engines started while Percy steered the ship. "You didn't eat before you came back to the ship?" Magnus asked.

Percy concentrated as he deftly guided the _Ancient Days_ through the traffic in the harbor. "Didn't have time," he finally answered, eyes still glued to the sea ahead of him. Magnus decided to keep the rest of his questions to himself until they were in more open water.

Several minutes later, Percy sighed and glanced to the others still on board with him. "Well, that was fun. How about some food?"

Apollo offered to take the wheel while the others ate. Percy nodded and said he would be back after lunch to take over. Apollo just waved him on and grabbed the wheel.

"Yes, please," begged Sadie. "And a story. You and Annabeth have to tell us about this mysterious quest."

Percy shook his head and climbed down to the lower deck. "Fine, fine. We'll tell you."

"We'll tell who what?" Annabeth interrupted as everyone climbed down the hatch.

Percy winked at her. "Tell them about our secret mission, Wise Girl. Sadie is threatening to drop a farting camel on us if we don't spill."

Sam stuck her head out of the dining hall doorway. "Oh, please, don't tell us anything. I want to see the farting camel thing. How would the great duo Annabeth and Percy free themselves from such a trap as a farting camel?"

"We're armed and dangerous demigods, Sam. We would find a way," Percy assured his friend.

Sam cackled. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought your head couldn't get any bigger, you prove me wrong."

"I do excel in doing the impossible," he mocked.

Annabeth slapped his arm and headed to the refrigerator. She pulled out three kinds of lunchmeat, two different loaves of bread, and all the condiments and vegetables. Together the whole group worked to dish up pickles, slice tomatoes and onions, prepare lettuce, and slice cheese. Soon, the table was filled with sandwich makings, chips, fruit, and dishes. Plates and bags of chips passed all over the table as everyone fixed their plates.

Once the chaos had calmed down, Magnus looked at Annabeth and Percy. "So, your quest for Aphrodite…How did it go?"

Percy smirked, and Annabeth's eyes twinkled as she answered, "It was a success."

"I know that's not all you're going to tell us." Sadie glared at the two of them over her turkey on wheat.

Percy leaned over to Annabeth and stage whispered, "See, there it is: her farting camel look."

Carter snorted and choked on his Coke. Sam thumped him on the back. Sadie stuck her tongue out at Percy. "Shut it, sea slug."

"But then you would never hear about our little mission," Percy reminded her.

Suddenly, Sadie had her wand pointed at Percy. "I can make Voldemort look like a first year wizard, Percy Jackson. Now, quit being annoying and spill. What was this oh-so-important quest that a love goddess needed taken care of?"

Annabeth laughed. "Okay, okay, Sadie. No need to bring evil wizards into this. Percy and I were just on a mission to get a document."

Magnus stared at them. "A document? You spent a day and half getting a document for Aphrodite?"

Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Well, we may have stretched the truth just a bit on that Aphrodite thing."

The table had become quiet all of a sudden. Sam crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Explain."

Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look. Then, Annabeth got up and walked over to the coffee table where she picked up a manila folder. By way of explanation she pulled out a piece of paper and set it in the middle of the table. "The document," she said simply.

Magnus snatched it up, and the others gathered around him, all trying to read it at the same time. Percy watched their faces as they read it. In ones and twos, a light dawned in their eyes, their jaws went slack, and shock registered on their faces.

"Wait! You got married!" Sadie shouted loud enough to wake the dead.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked the incredulous voice of Sam.

Magnus spluttered. "But…you…That's my cousin!"

Carter shook his head a rueful smile on his face. "That's just like the two of you, but I still can't believe you did it."

"That's my cousin!" Magnus repeated.

Annabeth reached over and patted Magnus's hand. "Yes, I'm your cousin who is older than you and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and making my own decisions. Your defensiveness is sweet but unnecessary."

Magnus shook his head and closed his mouth that was still hanging open. His eyes were still a little bugged out, but he seemed to be getting over his shock.

"So…Wait…How long have you two been planning this?" Sam had just finished reading the marriage license and was handing it back to Annabeth.

Percy leaned back in his chair. "Um…We planned it in about two hours the day before yesterday."

"Well, that's not what I thought you were doing in there," muttered Sadie.

Percy and Annabeth blushed. Carter jerked around to his sister and yelled, "Sadie! Is your head ever out of the gutter?"

"Oh, like you and everyone else wasn't thinking it," she retorted, daring him to contradict her.

Carter looked a little flustered, but he held his ground. "Even if I did think it, I wouldn't say it. It's called manners."

"It's called being uptight, which I am not, unlike you, brother dear."

"And they're off," Sam said under her breath.

"Umm-humm," Percy nodded in agreement, watching the unfolding argument between the Kanes.

After five minutes and countless insults later, Carter threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why are you arguing with me when you could be yelling at Percy and Annabeth for secretly eloping?"

Sadie opened her mouth to retort when what Carter said registered, and instead, she relaxed her posture. "You're right, for once, Carter." She then turned to the two in question, glaring. "So why in Ra's name did you secretly elope?"

Percy felt his confidence wilt under her glare and question. How could he explain all of this to his friends: that he was going to die in two days and didn't want to die without having at least one of his dreams with Annabeth fulfilled, that marrying her was the most important item on his bucket list?

Annabeth must have sensed his turmoil. She placed her hand on his knee and answered for them. "We're heading into a major battle, and you never know what is going to happen. We've talked about getting married at some point, but we just thought that we would go ahead and do it. Besides, we're here in Greece, Sounion is the site of the ancient temple to Poseidon, and it just seemed to be the right thing to do, like it was fated, I guess you could say."

Sam looked at them calculatingly. "So this has nothing to do with what Anubis and Apollo said the other day? You would have done this either way?"

Percy stood abruptly. "I would have married Annabeth either way," he stated firmly. "I've got to go. I'm supposed to be relieving Apollo at the wheel." He placed his plate in the sink and walked out of the room. He didn't like his motives for getting married questioned. It was why they had decided to not say anything beforehand. He sensed the water in the plumbing rushing faster than normal through the pipes and stopped at the ladder to the top deck, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to steady his temper. The water slowed back to its regular pace, and he opened his eyes.

Percy walked across the deck and stood beside Apollo.

Apollo stepped back from the wheel to let Percy have it. "I heard a commotion down there. So you and blondie got married, huh?"

"Her name is Annabeth, and yes, we did get married," Percy stated, looking to the sea.

"You thought leaving her as a widow was the best plan?"

"She could have said 'No.'"

Apollo walked around the wheel and stood in Percy's line of sight. "You're going to die in two days. You both know that. You asked her to marry you, and she recognized it for what it was: a last request. She wouldn't have told you 'No,' no matter what you asked of her. Her being a widow at eighteen years old is on you, not her, because you asked her to do something for you that you knew she would never refuse."

Percy narrowed his eyes at the un-god and gripped the wheel hard enough to make his knuckles turn white. "Mind your own business, Apollo. What's done is done, and we are both happy with _our_ decision. We had sandwiches for lunch. Go help yourself."

Apollo stepped back. "Whatever you say, Captain, but you know I'm right."

Percy could almost feel steam pour from his ears. "What I know is that you're bitter, angry about being a mortal, being blamed for causing the war with Gaea and the giants. You're jealous because I have a relationship. You're jealous because, unlike every other person on this ship, you have no power, no anything other than your haikus and archery to make you stand out. And I also know you're taking out all that anger and bitterness on the rest of us, especially Annabeth and me. We don't have time for your dramatics, so man up, solve your own problems, and get out of my face. I have a ship to run."

Apollo sent Percy a death glare and stalked off to another part of the deck. He had just gotten out of sight, and Annabeth was there, wrapping her arm around Percy's waist and pulling up close to his side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He didn't know how long she had been there, but he really didn't care. Just holding her melted his anger.

"He's wrong, you know," she whispered.

"About?" he asked, concentrating on getting the ship past the rocky shore of a nearby island.

"About you, me, and our marriage. Sure, I know that all this talk of your death may have been what made you decide to propose now, but we've known for a while that marriage is where this has been headed. So what if we got to that point sooner than we originally planned?"

Percy glanced at her for a moment before returning his attention to the rocky sea before him. He sighed. "But you'll still be a widow by the end of this. He is right that it's not fair to you."

Annabeth pulled away from him and turned so she could see his face. "Do you regret yesterday?"

Percy looked over at her, reaching out to take one of her hands. "Never. Never will I regret marrying you. I regret that I will have to leave you. I regret not getting to spend years together. But I don't and never will regret marrying you. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

Annabeth smiled. "Then don't worry about what Apollo says or what the others think. I don't regret it, either, and like you told Apollo, I could have said 'No.' I love you, Percy, and I want this as much as you do. I want to be married to you, even if it's only for two days. I didn't agree to be your wife just because it was the last request of a doomed man. Remember that."

Percy pulled her to him and pecked her lips. "I will, Mrs. Jackson."

She smiled at him and pulled away. "Good. I have got to go make some plans with Apollo. I'll see you tonight, Captain Jackson." She winked at him and headed to the lower decks.

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The _Ancient Days_ was moored at the docks at Itea by four the next morning. Percy had given the wheel to Magnus at nine the night before. Annabeth and Sadie had taken watch, but once they reached the shore, Annabeth activated the automaton ship guardians so that everyone could sleep for the next few hours. They had agreed to leave the ship at nine in the morning to make the twenty minute drive to Delphi where they would hopefully save the world for the umpteenth time.

Percy heard his cabin door quietly open and close. Annabeth padded across the floor and climbed into bed with him. He scooted over and rolled onto his side to make room for her. He wrapped an arm around her as she settled in. "Hey," he greeted her, his voice husky with sleep.

"Hey," she whispered back as she caressed his cheek with her hand. "I didn't mean to wake you."

He could see her in the faint light glowing through the porthole from the seaside town. Her hair scattered across the pillow behind her. It shined like a halo in the soft light. Her eyes were bright, peaceful, and studying him just as closely as he was studying her. "You didn't. I felt the ship dock, woke up, and decided to wait on you." He ran his hand up her side. She shivered and her eyes darkened a shade.

"We have several hours until we have to leave the ship," she informed him, lightly running her own fingers down his collarbone to his bare chest. "And I took a nap after dinner last night," she added.

"Hmmm….And Leo thought soundproofing the walls of the cabins was just a great joke." His hand had made its way under her shirt where he had begun to slowly massage the hollow of her hip.

She purred, and he rolled over to hover above her, one hand still on her hip, and his other hand was tangling itself in her hair at the side of her face. Her hands were still wandering around his chest and shoulders. "How about we find something to do to pass the time?" Her voice was low and sultry, and he couldn't hold back any longer and lowered his mouth to hers. They had no trouble finding something to do.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review.

Disclaimer (which I keep forgetting): I do not own PJO, HOO, KC, or MGA. Rick Riordan does.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

By eight the next morning, everyone was seated at the table in the dining hall eating breakfast. Magnus had served up a smorgasbord of eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, sliced tomatoes, sautéed onions and green peppers, salsa, and hash browns. Not to mention there was butter, honey, and three kinds of jelly on the table, too. He was making a breakfast sandwich for himself – well, two sandwiches – and was leaving everyone else to their own devices. Percy had joined him in the sandwich idea and had three on his plate, along with a generous scoop of hash browns, topped with salsa and shredded cheese, and an apple he had grabbed from the fruit bowl. Everyone else had just gone with dressing up their eggs and hash browns with the extra sides and was eating their biscuits with butter and jelly, except for Annabeth who chose honey instead.

As they ate, they went over the plan for the day one last time. No one really knew how they were going to what they had to do. They knew they would encounter monsters, Python, and Achlys. They knew that Apollo, Percy, and Annabeth would have to be the stars of the show this time, just as the Kanes were in Egypt and Magnus and Sam were in Sweden. They knew they would probably have to defeat more monsters than they could count. And they knew Percy was likely to die.

No one mentioned that last bit. It was just agreed that once they had done what they had come to do, they would get back to the ship and sail home. There were no questions of who would be captain, what they would do with Percy's body, if there was one, or how they would begin to tell everyone at home. Percy was grateful that it wasn't brought up. Annabeth had spent half an hour after they had woke up crying that she might not be coming back to the ship with him alive. He had managed to calm her down and get her focus back on the task at hand, but he knew one little comment would undo all of it. She needed to be present and focused because otherwise, she would die, too. And he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to her.

After they had reactivated the automaton security guards, everyone disembarked the ship. It took them nearly an hour to find and rent a car. Percy was the only one with a valid license (though, not the only one able to drive) and had to actually be the one to rent the van. (Annabeth had been working towards hers, but with the ease of public transportation in New York and her own full schedule, it had gone on the back burner.) Finally, all the papers were signed, everyone was loaded into the cramped, ancient minivan, and they were on the road. Once they were out of the most populated part of town, Percy had pulled over to let Apollo have the wheel. Percy was a decent driver in America, but somehow his dyslexia was translating into his driving, and since everything was backwards from what he was used to anyway, it was just better to let the guy who actually knew how to drive in Europe at the wheel.

"I'm the one who has actually lived in this continent within the past millennia," Sadie complained. "You ought to let me drive."

Percy rolled his eyes. "First off, Sadie, Apollo can read modern Greek, which means he can actually read the road signs. Second, he knows exactly where we are going. And third, he drives a freaking Maserati through the sky every day when he's a god, so I think he can handle driving a minivan on the left side of a Greek highway. Not to mention, he actually has a driving permit, unlike your fourteen year old self."

She glared. "You just had to pull the age card. I'll have you know, I've driven four times."

Carter snorted. "Yeah, in an empty parking lot, and you drove all of twenty yards each time before Bast made you stop and let her take over."

"I rest my case," answered Percy as he draped his arm around Annabeth's shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. She had hardly said a word all morning, and he knew she was worried about him. He figured that nothing he said would make her feel better, so he just held her close and kept quiet the rest of the ride.

At last they reached Delphi. "We'll have to walk from here," Apollo announced as he parked the van.

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Monsters. Percy hadn't seen so many monsters in one place since being at the Doors of Death in Tartarus.

"Holy Odin…" murmured Magnus.

"I have never seen so many one place!" exclaimed Carter. "How are we supposed to defeat that many?"

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look. "Too bad we don't have the death mist," she offered.

Percy shuddered. "Or a Gabe-scented cologne" he muttered. He turned back to the group. They all looked apprehensive, even Apollo. "Alright, we've got our work cut out for us, but Apollo said the cave on the other side of this hoard. Most of these monsters look Greek. Be prepared to use whatever powers and weapons you have. I'll go down first and sweep as many away with water as I can. Be ready to fight when that happens because the rest will attack. Once we get through, Apollo, Annabeth, and I will take on whatever is in the cave. The rest of you, just keep the monsters at bay."

Annabeth handed Magnus a baggie of ambrosia. "Save your energy for using Jack. Only use your healing powers if necessary. But don't eat too much of this at once; it'll burn you up from the inside out. Got it?"

Magnus took the proffered food of the gods. "Got it.

Percy uncapped Riptide. "Weapons at the ready, everyone. I'll see you on the other side." He gave Annabeth a quick kiss.

"Stay alive, Seaweed Brain," she whispered.

"I'll do my best," he promised. Then, he turned and made his way to the monster hoard.

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They waited ten tense minutes.

"You don't think he was spotted?" Sadie asked anxiously.

Annabeth shook her head. "It's a rocky hillside. He's probably just trying to make his way down it without making too much noise."

Just then, they heard a rumbling sound and the ground began to shake. The group stumbled a little. Monsters in the valley below them fell, many of them bursting into dust as they fell onto their own weapons and rocks.

"Great! That's just what we need right now: an earthquake," muttered Sam angrily.

"That's not a normal earthquake," answered Apollo.

"What do you mean?" yelled Carter while trying to keep his footing.

"It's a Percy-quake!" Annabeth threw back at him.

"Since when does he create earthquakes!? And what happened to the tidal wave idea?" questioned Magnus.

"Since he spent part of his spring break with his dad, and I guess he thought this would be more effective."

Apollo pointed to the monster hoard. "It was. Look." The ground had stopped quaking. About a quarter of the monsters were gone.

"And there's your tidal wave, Magnus," Annabeth pointed to a geyser that had just erupted in the middle of the monsters. The water swept about two hundred more monsters away, smashing them into trees, rocks, and ruins. The water then turned and flowed back toward the foot of the hill. The monsters that had survived turned to see where the water was heading and charged the area. "He needs us! Let's go!" Annabeth yelled.

The group tumbled down the side of the hill. They didn't waste time being quiet and were at the bottom within two minutes. They found Percy wrapped in a personal hurricane that was being fed by the geyser water, fighting the monsters that were attacking him. The sight of Percy in battle had always left Annabeth feeling a little scared and a whole lot awed. He might be hopeless in a classroom, but on a battlefield, Percy was a force to be reckoned with. He moved with a speed and agility that left his enemies dizzy and dead. The raw power of the sea flowed through and around him, literally and figuratively. And there was that part of Percy that came alive during a fight. His eyes lit up in a way they didn't at any other time. In some primal way, deep down, Percy enjoyed the battle, the rush of adrenaline, the power flowing through him. Annabeth knew that; she had known it for quite some time. It never stopped her from shivering a little. It was the warrior in him, and if she didn't know that he was aware of it, she would have been a lot more disturbed by that warrior. But he knew, and he kept that part of himself under a tight lid until he needed it in battle. Not even in his sparring and training sessions did he release that part of himself. The new campers (and a few of the older ones) didn't even know that their beloved leader and trainer had that warrior in him, and Percy worked hard to make sure it stayed that way.

Annabeth ran to her husband and took her place at his back. He had let the hurricane fall apart when the rest of the group had made it to the bottom of the hill. Annabeth had her drakon bone sword strapped to her hip and her new dagger in her hand. She and Percy quickly fell into a familiar rhythm of fighting: twisting, dodging, slashing, and stabbing. It was like a dance, the tango of Percy and Annabeth, perfected by years of fighting at each other sides. Their focus narrowed to the two of them and the monsters they were taking on, and they were soon deep in the monster hoard, separated from the rest of the group. Percy hooked his arm through her elbow. She reflexively gripped tight and jumped. He swung her around just as a monster that had snuck up on her slashed into the empty airspace she left behind. She kicked a second monster in the nose as she came back down on her feet. The monster staggered backwards into the outstretched claws of the monster behind him exploding into dust.

"Nice one!" Percy called out.

"Of course it was!" Annabeth answered with a smirk.

Percy laughed at her and slashed through a laistragonian giant.

And on it went. Hours and hours of battling the hundreds of monsters. Every now and then, one of them would catch a glimpse of one of their friends, or at least evidence of the friend: a flying arrow from Apollo, a floating hieroglyph, a camel falling out of nowhere, Jack zooming by, Sam flying across the valley, and even a large falcon avatar stomped around for a few minutes at one point.

The sun had started to dip towards the horizon by the time that Percy and Annabeth had fought their way to the mouth of the cave. Apollo burst from the group of monsters at the other end of the hoard. There was still around a hundred and fifty left. Annabeth could see Magnus and Sam somewhere near the center of the group. Her heart jumped to her throat as she saw Magnus dodge the fangs of a hellhound just in time. Jack the sword was swooping around, near the duo, slashing monsters left and right. Magnus was also armed with a celestial bronze sword. He was staying alive, but Annabeth could tell he was no warrior, and she wanted to go to his aid. Sam was flying around, taking out monsters from above, though, and Annabeth figured that if they had made it this far, they would be okay.

The Kanes were off to the far left side. Carter taking out a monster with every turn with his kopesh, and Sadie was holding her own with a dagger. She had a wand in her other hand, however, and was really making headway with hieroglyphs.

Percy pulled Annabeth away from the monsters and around an outcropping of rock. They were hidden from everyone's view. He sank down to the dirt and leaned his head back on the rock breathing deep, trying to catch his breath. "Gods, I'm tired."

Annabeth sat down beside him. "Me, too. Here. Take a drink." She handed him a flask of nectar.

He took it from her, swallowed a big gulp. The nicks and cuts on his skin healed and faded, and his breathing eased up. "Thanks." He handed the flask back to her, and she took a swig. Instantly, she her head cleared and her aching limbs felt better.

She pocketed the flask. "The battle's not done, Percy. Come on."

Percy groaned and stood up. "Alright, Wise Girl. Let's finish this." He turned to head back to the battle.

"Wait!" she called out. "One more thing."

Percy turned back to her. She grabbed his shirt by the collar, pulled her to him and kissed him hard. He locked his arms around her and returned the kiss. She pulled back a few seconds later. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he answered. "We'd better get back out there."

Annabeth nodded, took his hand, and they ran back to the battle. Their friends were all still alive, thankfully. Apollo looked over at them and jerked his head towards the cave. Percy nodded at him, and the three made their way to its mouth. All Annabeth saw was two glowing, yellow eyes before Python struck out at Apollo. Mortal or not, the snake clearly knew who his enemy was. Apollo jumped out of the way, notched an arrow, and turned back on the snake in one smooth move. The fight was on between the two of them, but Annabeth and Percy didn't have time to stop and watch.

A strangled wailing sound reverberated through the cave and then a voice hoarse and scratchy from sobbing called out from only feet away, "I sense your presence, Perseus Jackson. You should not have come."

Percy pulled up Riptide in a defensive stance, looking toward the voice. Annabeth stood at his side, facing the opposite direction, keeping watch for any other monsters or gods that wanted to do them in.

"Why do you say that? Are you afraid that I'll finish what I started in Tartarus?" Percy taunted.

The air chilled and Annabeth's heart sunk under the weight of depression as images of Percy's dead body filled her mind's eye. She grasped his hand. Its warmth reassured her that he was alive, but still she shivered as she thought about him and her other friends and family dying, about having to spend her life alone and heartbroken. She began to feel hopeless against a goddess as strong as Achlys. Percy tightened his grip on her hand, and she shook her head, trying to clear it from the goddess's power.

Achlys came into sight, looking just as horrible as she had in Tartarus, if not worse because of better lighting. "You won't finish me, demi-god. I shall finish you. The gods of three pantheons have told you this. You shall die by my hand, and you will leave your pretty little wife to spend her life lonely and broken in misery." The goddess cackled with delight at that thought.

Suddenly, an empousa darted into the cave from the fight outside. Annabeth lunged at the monster just before it attacked Percy. She made short work of sending the demon back to Tartarus, but it had been followed by its friends. Annabeth found herself kept busy by the creatures and unable to help Percy with Achlys. She caught a few glimpses of him, striking at her with Riptide, only for it to be deflected by Hercules's shield. He seemed to moving a little sluggish, and her heart clenched. But she wasn't in any place to help him. Her attention was drawn back to the crowd of monsters around her, and she focused on them. The sooner they died, the sooner she would be back at Percy's side.

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Percy for his part was doing his best to keep his wits about him, but the goddess of misery was making that hard. She was worse than the River Cocytus. His thoughts and feelings kept betraying him, making it hard for him to focus on the task of dispatching her back to Tartarus. She was crying and wailing, taunting him to use his power over her tears, again, and drown her. He refused to do that. It wasn't right to do it the first time, and it wouldn't be any more right a second time. He slashed at her, and she just raised her shield, deflecting his attack. His mind felt like a depressed puddle. He shook his head trying to clear it, to no avail.

A fog rose up around him, it was tinged green, and he knew without a doubt it was poison. He felt his throat closing up as he breathed it in. He had to finish this before she finished him. He lashed out at her, but his movements were already sluggish. His aim was off. He needed water to clear his mind. Concentrating, he called up a steady stream of water. It shouldn't have been as difficult as it was while in a damp cave, but the poison was making everything more difficult. He eventually had enough flowing, though, to drench himself in it and create a small, slow whirlpool. He was already exhausted, but he would have to soldier through.

The water helped, until Achlys filled it with poison. The poison fog was still hanging in the air, Percy's whirlpool had been injected with more of it, and Percy's head swam. He slashed at the goddess, but she just used his sword as a springboard and launched herself at him. She latched onto his back, her talon-like fingernails piercing the skin on his neck. He felt cold poison flow straight into his bloodstream. He was done for, but if he was going out, he was taking her with him. He slammed her into the rock wall of the cave, and Achlys lost her grip, falling to the ground with a grunt. Percy's whirlpool dropped, and the poison fog dropped.

Percy saw Achlys's shield on the ground, just two feet from her. He kicked it into a puddle of poison, where it immediately started to steam and melt. Percy stumbled to one knee. Achlys pushed off the ground to her feet.

"You will die, now." She stalked towards him. He was weak. He would only get one shot at this, so he stayed kneeled down, letting her come to him.

"I will make your brain swim in a sea misery, and then I will drown you in poison." She was right above him. She raised her arms, and Percy saw his chance. He jumped, pushing Riptide into her right side at a forty-five degree angle. It went through her entire body, the tip pushing out of her left shoulder. Golden ichor oozed from the two puncture points on her body. Percy pulled out Riptide, fell back to the ground, and closed his eyes just as Achlys exploded in a flash of darkness. He had defeated her.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. And thank you to my reviewers for leaving a review. Please, let me know what you think. :)

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns PJO, HOO, KC, and MCA.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. She had seen the last move of Percy's fight. He had done it. He had defeated the goddess of misery, and he had done it with his sword. No torturing her in her own poison, no drowning her in her own tears, just sword to heart, and she was gone. Then, he had fallen to the ground in a heap, Riptide clanking uselessly out of his hand.

"Ann-beth," she heard him manage, choking on her name halfway through.

She flew to him and kneeled down beside him. His skin had a green pallor, his eyes were bloodshot and dim, and his neck was bleeding where Achlys had pierced his skin with her nails. "You look awful," she murmured as she pulled the flask of nectar from her pocket.

"You're…always good…for…a compliment." His voice was raspy, and he seemed to have trouble focusing on her.

"Well, I can't go letting you get a big head, now can I?" Annabeth tried for a joke. It fell flat, but Percy was sweet enough to grin a little. She lifted his head and brought the flask to his lips, and she gently poured some into his mouth. He swallowed and got choked, but she felt him relax after a moment. He wounds on his neck closed. She gave him another sip, and his breathing eased up a bit.

She went to give him another drink, but he pushed the flask towards her. "You," he urged.

"You need it more than me," she answered pushing the flask back towards him.

"Drink, Annabeth," he commanded.

She knew he wouldn't leave her alone about it until she did, so she took a small swallow of the nectar. She did feel better. The cuts and bruises on her body healed some, and she didn't feel quite so weak and tired. There was only about a tablespoon of nectar left in the flask, and without giving him a chance to protest, Annabeth poured the last of it into Percy's mouth. He sputtered a bit at the suddenness of it, but soon his skin was almost its normal color. Though he was still too weak to sit up, let alone stand. He was feeling feverish, too, so even if she had more to give him, Percy couldn't have any more nectar or ambrosia.

She shoved the flask back into her pocket just as a sonic boom echoed across the valley outside. "I hope that was a good thing," Percy remarked.

Annabeth sat Percy up and helped him scoot painfully to the cave wall, where she propped him up. He had tried to not cry out as she had slid and pulled him across the cave floor, she could tell, but he had. And she pierced her heart hearing him hiss, groan, and moan. By the time they had managed to get him to the wall, he was pale and gasping for air again. He must have had more poison in his system than she realized.

Gently, Annabeth held his face so his eyes would meet hers. They were unfocused and glazed over from the pain he was in. "Percy, listen to me. I'm going to check outside. I'll bring Magnus. Maybe he can help you. And I'll see if Sadie has a potion. Just hang on."

"Hang on…" Percy mumbled. His eyes were closing, and his head was rolling forward. Annabeth kissed him quickly and ran to the cave entrance. Just before she ran out, however, everyone else ran in.

"Annabeth!" Magnus pulled her into a hug. He smelled awful, like sweat, blood, and sulfuric monster dust.

Annabeth pulled back from him. He looked terrible, but she was hoping he had enough strength left in him to help Percy. "Magnus! Thank the gods you're okay. Percy needs your help."

"Where is Percy?" Sadie asked, her head jerking around the cave.

Annabeth had already grabbed her cousin's arm and was dragging him to her dying husband. "Over here, and Sadie, Carter, if you have an anti-poison potion, please…" Her voice faded out when they reached Percy. He had slumped over, holding his stomach, gasping for breath, groaning, and shivering. He was paler than just two minutes ago, and his body was slick with sweat.

Before anyone could move, Percy cried out, squeezing his stomach harder, and curling in on himself. "Make it stop! Gods please!" Tears began to squeeze out of his closed eyes, and Annabeth choked back a sob.

She went to take a step towards him but was held back. "Let him work," Sam advised, speaking of Magnus who had already knelt down beside Percy. She hadn't even seen him move. Annabeth could hear Sadie sorting through her pack behind her, searching for a potion that could help. Magnus placed his hand on Percy's chest, closed his eyes, and concentrated. A glow surrounded them, and Percy began to relax and gain some color back while Magnus started to slump further onto the ground. Sam and Annabeth reached them just in time for Sam to catch Magnus as he fell back in exhaustion. Sadie and Carter were right on their heels. Carter reached into the Duat and pulled a potion seemingly out of thin air, uncapped it, and handed it to Sam who helped Magnus swallow it.

Annabeth had Percy's head on her lap. Sadie was trying to uncork a potion in her hand. Percy was still shivering, his breathing shallow and raspy. Magnus looked over at her. "There's a lot of poison. I did all I can, but I don't think it was enough. I'm sorry, Annabeth."

Annabeth opened her mouth to reply, but there was a clamber at the mouth of the cave. Carter stood up and headed that way gripping his kopesh tight in his hand. Annabeth looked over and saw a tall, blonde surfer coming their way. Carter stopped and stared. "Apollo?" he asked.

"That would be Lord Apollo, Carter Kane." Apollo looked about twenty years old and radiated power. He had been returned to his godly state. Annabeth assumed he was the source of the sonic boom. Apollo stepped around Carter. "Excuse me, Carter, I am needed."

Apollo squatted down beside Magnus and put his hand on the guy's shoulder. There was a faint glow, and Magnus sat up straight, looking rejuvenated. "You did well, son of Frey. You'd make an excellent healer."

"Thank you, Lord Apollo," Magnus answered, but Apollo had already turned his attention to Percy who had begun to pale, again.

The god held his hand over Percy's chest as Percy groaned, grimacing and clutching his stomach some more. Apollo placed both hands on Percy's torso and started singing a hymn in ancient Greek. The healing glow started up, once more, but at the same time, a greenish-black fog poured out of Percy's nose and mouth.

Once the hymn was over, the fog and the glow were gone. Annabeth looked at Percy, his eyes were closed, his breathing was even, and he had most of his color back. He was so relaxed in her lap, she knew he was sleeping. She looked up at Apollo. "You cured him. Oh, thank you, Lord Apollo! Thank-"

"I didn't cure him, Annabeth," he interrupted. "I did all I can, but the damage from the poison is too extensive. I've only been able to buy him an hour, maybe two."

Annabeth's face fell. "You mean…"

"He won't make it. The poison has already begun to shut down his organs and body systems. It's causing him a great deal of pain, but I've slowed down the poison enough that it has eased the pain for now. I also removed the poison from his lungs, but the rest is too widespread for even me to remove completely." Apollo looked genuinely sorry that he couldn't save Percy's life.

Annabeth felt tears well in her eyes, but she willed them to not spill out. Now wasn't the time for crying; it was the time for answers. She racked her brain for a solution. "The ocean! Maybe the ocean can heal him. Come on; let's get him back to the ship."

The others looked at her with pity. "Annabeth," Apollo started.

"Even if it doesn't help him," Annabeth interrupted. "I won't have Percy dying in a dark, dank cave! Either help me get him back to the ocean or don't. Either way, I'm getting him there." Annabeth sat Percy up and began to struggle to get them both up off the ground. Then, Carter and Magnus were there lifting Percy by his shoulders and legs. Sadie helped Annabeth off the ground, and Sam walked on her other side.

Apollo led them out of the cave. Then, he turned to the group. "Stay here. I'll get the car."

"But…" Sadie began, but Apollo was already gone, having teleported himself back to their parked van at the top of the hill.

A minute later, the van flew, literally, back over the side of the hill. It landed and parked right beside the group, and Apollo got out of the driver's seat. He came around and opened the sliding door. "Let's get him in here." Magnus, Carter, and Apollo managed to get Percy onto the middle seat. He stirred and groaned but didn't wake up. Annabeth climbed in beside him. Apollo went back to the driver's seat, Carter sat shotgun, and Sadie, Sam, and Magnus took the back seat.

Apollo looked back at everyone. "Buckle up. I'll fly us back to the ship, return the car, call Uncle Poseidon, and return back to you. Hang on!" He turned back around in his seat, started the van, and they took off.

Annabeth held onto to Percy. He was slumped onto her shoulder. His skin was still clammy, and every few minutes he would shudder, and he would quietly moan or mutter things. Sometimes, he would say her name, and she would be reminded of Tartarus when he was dying of Gorgon's blood poisoning. She wished Damasen was with them now. He might be able to make another healing spit wad for Percy, but he wasn't. Tears welled in her eyes again, but she didn't stop them this time. She let them drip silently down her face as she held Percy's hands. Her left arm was wrapped around his waist, and as she gripped his left hand in hers, she could feel the cold gold band on his finger. They had been married all of two days, and just like had been predicted, Percy was dying. It was unfair. After everything they had done, had been through, and it was all going to end like this. Percy was going to die a slow, painful death from poisoning only two days after getting married. She wiped her face, trying not to break down and sob. Instead, she just gripped Percy tighter and kissed his head.

Percy let out a breath through his nose. "Wise Girl…" he muttered.

The car was silent, except for Percy's mumblings. Annabeth felt a hand squeeze her shoulder from behind. She struggled to control her emotions but somehow held herself together. Thankfully, Apollo started to land the van. He sat it down right on the beach. Annabeth wondered absently what the mortals saw. But then the side door was sliding open and everyone was climbing out of the van, and her idle thoughts were gone. She stayed with Percy until everyone else was out, and then she climbed out, gently leaning Percy back onto the back of the seat. Once she was out, Carter, Magnus, and Apollo maneuvered Percy out of the van, too, and down to the water.

Percy's breathing had begun to get shallow, again, and he was moaning more, but as soon as they sat him down in the surf, he let out a sigh and opened his eyes. He was still weak, so Annabeth sat behind him so he could lean back on her chest.

"I'll be back soon," Apollo called, and Annabeth saw the van take to the sky once more.

The sun was beginning to set. The others came around, splashing through the water. Carter squatted down some. "Hey, Perce. It's good to see you awake. How are you holding up?"

Annabeth watched as Percy's bleary eyes struggled to focus on his friend, but he did it. "Been better…" His voice was scratchy, and it sounded painful for him to talk. Even so, his lips turned up the slightest bit as he spoke, trying to keep the moment light.

Carter forced a smile back at Percy and gently clapped his shoulder. "Yeah, well, you hang out here in the water with Annabeth. Maybe it will help you. The rest of us are going down to the harbor and bring the ship around." Carter let go of Percy's shoulder and stood.

Percy's head lolled some. "Water's…nice…" he mumbled.

Magnus patted Percy's other shoulder. "Yeah, the water's nice, man. Just relax. We'll be back soon." He squatted next to Annabeth. "Hey, cousin, you look a little worse for wear. Did you get any ambrosia or anything?"

"Just a swallow of nectar," she admitted.

He placed on hand on her back and one on her shoulder and concentrated. Annabeth felt a warmth flow through her replacing all the aches and pains she had been ignoring while trying to stay alive and keep Percy alive. She hadn't even realized how much pain her body was in until the pain was gone. Too bad the pain in her heart couldn't be taken away as easily, but she figured if there was ever a pain she wanted to feel, it was the pain brought on by watching the love of her life die. She wanted to feel every twinge and ache of that. To make it magically disappear would be dishonoring to Percy's short life, in her mind.

Magnus let go of her shoulder and back. "Is that better?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

He nodded and started to stand when Percy reached out and grabbed his pant leg. Startled, Magnus stepped back, pulling Percy over. Annabeth caught and steadied her husband before he face planted the water. Magnus quickly squatted back down and help set Percy back up. "Hey, man. Sorry about that."

Percy grabbed Magnus's arm and slowly focused in on his face. "Thank…you…all of…you," he rasped out.

Magnus glanced at Annabeth for a second before looking back at Percy. "You would have done the same for us, Percy. Now, relax. Rest." He gently sat Percy's hand back into the water. Percy leaned back on Annabeth, and all the others sloshed back to the beach toward the harbor.

Annabeth sat there, straddling Percy so he could lean back on her. She wrapped her arms around him and grabbed his hands. He squeezed them lightly. The sun was setting on the horizon. It was a beautiful one: bright, streaked with oranges, reds, yellows, blues, and purples. She silently thanked Helios for making it so spectacular.

"Love you…'nabeth…Beau-tiful…Thank you…" Percy managed.

She wasn't sure what he was calling beautiful: her, the sunset, the ocean, or maybe all three. So she just pulled his hand up and kissed it. "Anything for you, Percy. I love you, too."

Percy took a shuddering breath. "Wanna stay." His voice cracked, and he gripped her hand just a little harder.

Annabeth couldn't stand to hear him cry. She scooted around him, straddled him from the front, and pulled him into a hug. He reached around her back, his fingers searching for her hair. She pulled out her ponytail with one hand and immediately felt his fingers tangle in the ends of her curls. All of it made her want to cry, but she held strong until she felt warm tears fall on her shoulder. "Oh, Percy, I wish I could fix this. I wish I could heal you. I want you to stay, too." The tears she had been holding back broke through and poured down her face like water coming through a busted dam.

Soon they were both sobbing. Percy started coughing and gasping for air. Annabeth pulled back and sat him up. "Gods, Percy, I'm sorry. You're supposed to be relaxing, and I'm just upsetting you."

He shuddered, reached up, and placed his hand on her cheek. His fingers were colder than normal, but his touch was the same. She leaned into his palm. His thumb wiped tears from her face. She heard him swallow with difficulty. "N-not your fault…Sorry I…made you…sad. Remember to…live…move on. Don' stay…sad. I'll wait…Don' hurry. I…always love you." He was racked with coughs, again.

Annabeth's heart broke seeing him struggle so much with something as simple as talking. She knew the sea wouldn't be able to cure him. It might ease his pain, slow the poison, but nothing could save him, at this point. "Shh…I understand. Don't talk; just relax. The ship and Apollo should be here soon. I'm not going anywhere." She kissed him softly, and he kissed her back. "I love you, too, Percy. I always will."

Annabeth moved to sit behind him, again, and pulled him back to lean on her. The sun was just about gone. They sat there another minute or so in silence, holding hands, and watching the sun sink below the horizon. Then, a man rose up from the water and walked quickly to them. Poseidon.

Percy pushed himself up and started trying to pull his feet under him to stand. He was shaking, his breath shallow and raspy. Annabeth knew he would never be able to get up, especially on his own. She didn't even want him to try, but she knew how the gods were. Reluctantly, she her pulled her feet under her, and started to get her arms under Percy's to help him stand. But before she could, Poseidon called out, "No, just stay down, son."

Within seconds, the sea god was there squatting beside them. Annabeth was on Percy's left, and Poseidon was on his right, facing his son. "Perseus. I am so sorry, son. I have brought this fate on you." His eyes traveled the length of his son taking in Percy's failing body. His face clouded, and his eyes darkened losing their normal spark. "I have brought an elixir made by my best healer. It should help." He pulled a small vial of murky green liquid from the cargo pocket of his shorts and uncorked it.

Percy reached out a shaky hand to take the vial. "Looks tasty," he joked.

"You haven't lost your sense of humor, I see," Poseidon remarked as he helped Percy guide the vial to his mouth.

Percy gulped down the elixir, made a face, and shivered. "Tasted as good…as it looked." He coughed some, but it didn't rattle him as much as before. He sat up a bit straighter. For the moment, he had regained some strength. He looked at his father, his eyes not struggling nearly as much to focus this time. "You didn't have to come, Dad." His voice was still quiet and hoarse, but he wasn't struggling to form or find the words to speak anymore.

Poseidon put his large hand on Percy's shoulder. "You are my son, my only mortal child. I am proud of you. I had to come. The elixir will wear off after a while, but I thought if I could give you enough time, I could get you and your friends back to New York before you pass into my brother's realm. You could speak to your mother, your family, and your friends one last time. It won't make up for a lifetime with them, but it would be better than never seeing them again."

Percy looked too stunned to speak, so Annabeth asked for him, "How will you get us back to New York so fast? Not the volleyball thing, again, I hope."

Poseidon smiled a little. "No, not the volleyball thing. I don't have Zeus's flair for theatrics nor his aim at serving a ship across the Atlantic. No, I will sail you home. I am the god of the sea, after all. If Percy can push the _Ancient Days_ eighteen hundred miles in eight hours, do you not think I can do the same, better even?"

Annabeth blushed, feeling rather stupid. "Oh, of course. Forgive me, Lord Poseidon."

"Ah, come now, Annabeth, you are my daughter-in-law, and you've had a difficult day. There is nothing to forgive."

Percy cleared his throat. "How fast can you get us across the ocean, though? I do feel better, but I can tell that even the elixir won't last long."

Poseidon cocked his head to calculate his answer. "It may make Hephaestus angry with all the damage the ship will take on, but that child of his Leo will probably take delight in doing the repairs. Anyway, I can get us back in five hours. You're right that the elixir won't last long, but willpower, son, works wonders. And you've got some of the strongest willpower I've ever seen."

Percy sighed. "Finally, it works in my favor."

Poseidon and Percy both suddenly looked up toward the harbor. Annabeth's eyes followed theirs, and she saw the ship coming their way. Apollo stood at the wheel on the deck, and the others were watching from the railing. She saw one of their friends pointing their direction. She couldn't be sure, but she thought it was Magnus. At any rate, she and Poseidon stood and helped Percy to his feet. He swayed a bit but stayed upright while leaning on Annabeth. The ship came to a stop, and the lifeboat was lowered. Magnus and Carter climbed down the rope ladder and hopped inside. They rowed quickly to where Annabeth, Percy, and Poseidon stood.

The boys clambered out of the boat and drug it into the sand. "Percy, you're looking better," exclaimed Carter. Percy smiled a bit.

Magnus looked at Poseidon. "Are you Percy's dad? Because that's a really uncanny likeness if you're not."

Poseidon smirked. "Yes, I am Poseidon. You are the son of Frey I have heard about. You tried to heal my son earlier. Thank you." Then he turned to Carter. "The host of Horus. Thank you, also, for all you have done to help my son. Now, we need to get to the ship. Percy, come. Let's get you in this life boat."

Percy and Annabeth shuffled to the life boat. Walking was much harder for Percy than standing, and he nearly took them both down twice on the five step journey. Getting into the boat proved to be even more difficult for him. It took three of them to help him into the boat: one outside the boat, one right alongside of him, and one inside the boat. At last, however, they got him in the boat and settled on one of the seats. Percy sagged against Annabeth as the others got settled. He was sweating and short of breath from the effort of getting into the boat. "This is humiliating. Dying sucks, Wise Girl."

The boat lurched out of the sand and into the water. Annabeth noticed Poseidon was guiding the vessel. He had the same look and posture as Percy when he guided boats by willpower. He glanced back at his son. "Do not be ashamed, Perseus. Many have faced death far less honorably than you."

Percy laughed a little. "I don't suppose I could take the Council up on that offer of godhood now, could I?"

Poseidon smiled sadly back at him. "It's too late for that."

"Well, that's good, I guess," Percy replied to his father. He squeezed Annabeth's hand and spoke so low that only she could hear him. "I don't want eternity, anyway."

Another minute or so, and they were back to the ship. Percy groaned when the Boson chair was lowered for him, but Annabeth just pecked his lips and told him to hang on tight. She climbed the ladder beside him. Once they made it to the deck, Percy insisted on staying on the top deck, claiming the sea air made him feel better. No one believed that it made that big of a difference, but it was the only thing he had seriously asked for. No one would deny him a blanket tucked off to the side of the deck and some fresh air. Sadie brought up the quilt from Percy's bed and a couple of pillows. Within in no time, Percy and Annabeth were cuddled up together on the deck.

Annabeth and Percy watched Poseidon take over the ship. He commanded the vessel even better than Percy. He merely had to think about what he wanted done, and the _Ancient Days_ came to life. Ropes whipped around, sails unfurled, the anchor raised, and the ship began to move out to sea. The sea began to push the ship westward. Before long, they were zooming along the ocean faster than Annabeth could believe. She didn't know what Poseidon was doing to keep the hull of the ship together, but it must have been taking a beating.

For the first couple of hours or so, Percy had enough energy to keep up a steady conversation with his wife and the rest of the crew. In fact, the others took turns sitting with him to say their goodbyes. Annabeth had taken that time to shower and pack up their belongings so that the others could have some privacy with Percy. But by the third hour, his strength began to fail him. He grew quieter and quieter. The others had gone below deck, and Annabeth had come back to stay with him. He looked up at Annabeth from where he was resting his head on her lap. "Could you tell me about the constellations?" His voice was raspy, hoarse, and so low, she could barely understand him.

It took her a moment to work out what he said, and she felt a lump form in her throat when she did. His requests were so simple. That's all he had ever wanted: a simple, quiet life with her. Why was this his fate? He deserved so much more. "Of course, Seaweed Brain," she answered as she ran her fingers through his hair. She took a couple of minutes to arrange them both on the pillows and to get a second blanket over them. Then, she snuggled up next to him and began to point out the constellations and tell him their stories.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review.

Disclaimer: PJO, HOO, KC, and MCA are all owned by Rick Riordan.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Percy fell into a fitful sleep somewhere around the third constellation. He was starting to hurt again; Annabeth could tell. He had always muttered more in his sleep when he didn't feel well, and every now and then, he would moan. By the time they made it back to New York, the elixir had worn off completely. His skin was pale and clammy, his breathing shallow, his pulse rapid, and his eyes unfocused. He was barely able to speak, often groaning and clutching himself in pain.

Poseidon brought the ship right up to the shore of Camp Half-Blood. Apollo had left the crew in Greece, once they had gotten Percy aboard. He had teleported himself back to New York and brought Percy's family to Camp and talked to Chiron about the situation. He had also alerted Percy's friends at Camp Jupiter that they needed to get to Long Island immediately. When the ship all but collapsed on the beach of camp, Will Solace was the first person to climb aboard. He helped Sadie and Magnus rig up a stretcher to get Percy off the ship since Percy was unable to stand or walk.

It took some work, but they got him off the ship. A crowd had gathered on the beach. Annabeth wished they hadn't, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The tears, stunned looks, clenched hands, and sorrow filled eyes were almost more than Annabeth could bear, especially when the looks of pity were sent her way. The best thing about the whole situation was that Percy was too out of it to realize what was happening. The worst part about it was seeing the youngest group of campers in a huddle off to one side. The oldest of the group was only ten, and she had the other four pulled up close to her, trying to be strong for the whole group while their favorite trainer was carried past them on a stretcher delirious and moaning as a particularly strong wave of pain washed through his poisoned body.

Magnus, Carter, Will, and Poseidon made short work of getting Percy to his cabin. Sally, Paul, and baby Hope, who was asleep, were already there waiting on the long porch. Annabeth went to Sally's side and caught her just as her knees buckled when Percy was brought past them. Paul held Hope close to his chest and sagged against the railing of the porch when he saw his stepson in such dire shape. Annabeth heard Percy cry out when the guys moved him from the stretcher to the bed.

The family moved into the cabin. Carter and Poseidon had backed away from the bed. Magnus and Will, on the other hand, were kneeling next to Percy. Will had a hand on Percy's forehead, and Magnus had a hand on his chest. They both looked strained, and Percy's improvement was marginal, at best. They soon sat back, both pale and sweating. Annabeth dug a baggie of ambrosia from Percy's top dresser drawer and passed it to Will.

He took a piece of the godly food from the bag and passed it on to Magnus who took half a piece. "Thanks," Will said before biting off half his piece. He chewed and swallowed it then looked at the group in the room. "He's in bad shape. Dad told me how bad it was earlier. I wish I could say something different, but at this point, we can only try to keep him comfortable. I'm sorry."

Sally walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress at the foot of the bed. Will and Magnus stood up and moved away from the bed. Will stopped and hugged Sally, however. He pulled away quickly and followed Magnus and Carter out the door.

Poseidon went to his son's other side and sat down. He placed his hand on Percy's forehead, closed his eyes, and murmured an ancient blessing. He sat two drachmas on the windowsill beside the bunk bed. Then, he stood to leave. He stopped at the door, though, and turned back. "Sally." She looked up at him. "You raised a good man. He couldn't have had a better mother. I'm sorry that I have brought this fate upon him."

Sally wiped her eyes. "Don't blame yourself, Poseidon. This is just…It's just…how these things go sometimes."

"A curse always follows breaking an oath on the Styx, Sally. You know this."

She looked over at Percy, her slight body shaking with emotion, and then she turned back to the god at the door. "He doesn't blame you; he never would. He only ever wanted to make you proud, to prove himself a true son of the sea god."

Poseidon bowed his head and swallowed hard. "Then may he rest in peace knowing he has done exactly that. I'll leave you now. Annabeth, Paul." He nodded to them, then turned and left the cabin.

Sally had scooted further up the bed and was brushing Percy's hair from his forehead. He turned his face towards her on instinct and his eyes fluttered open. "Mom…" he breathed.

"Yes, Percy. I'm here. I brought Paul and Hope, too." Percy turned his head, searching for the others. Annabeth could tell he was struggling to see anything.

Paul had sat on his other side after he had lain the sleeping five-month old in the bunk beside him, cushioning her with pillows on either side. He placed his hand on Percy's shoulder. "Hey, Perce. I'm over here. Hope is on the bed next to yours. She's sleeping."

The barest of grins flitted across Percy's face. "O' course…she is. 'nabeth…here?"

"I'm here," she answered. "But I'm going to step out for a while to see if Frank and Hazel have made it. Talk with your parents. I'll be back."

His eyes closed slowly. "M'kay…"

Annabeth quickly hugged Paul and Sally and stepped backwards out the cabin door. As she pulled the door silently shut, she rested her head against it and couldn't contain her sobs any longer. Pressing her hand to her mouth to muffle the sound, she stepped back, sank to the porch floor, drew her knees up to her chest, and bowed her head against them as her sobs broke loose. Percy Jackson, the rock of her life, the man she loved, her husband was just on the other side of that door dying a slow, pain-filled death, and there was nothing she nor anyone else could do about it. He was too far gone, and she was going to spend the rest of her life alone.

She didn't know how long she sat there curled onto herself bawling before she became aware of people pressed against her from every side. People rubbing her back, crying with her, and smoothing her wild hair back from the sides of her sticky wet face. Someone was humming – Piper. She didn't recognize the song, but it sounded like a lullaby. She recognized the feel of Hazel's fingers, gently combing through and braiding her hair. Hazel always did more elaborate braids than Piper or Calypso. Some tall and broad guy – she figured Jason – sat backed up to her left side, almost like he was shielding her from prying eyes as she broke down. And short, stiff fur brushed up against her ankle on her right. Grover. She sensed more people on the porch, too. She recognized the gait of Frank pacing on the step behind her. She could almost feel the shadows somewhere on her right, which had to be Nico. The sound of a paintbrush sloshing around in water meant that Rachel must have been close by utilizing her form of therapy. The faint smell of motor oil drifted through the breeze, so Leo was nearby, too. Calypso had recently left to visit some old friends that she hadn't seen in a few thousand years, so she wasn't here. Annabeth could hear lots of shuffling and muttering, too, but from a distance. She figured the campers must have congregated on the grass beyond the cabin. Her closest friends were there, though, hiding her from them, keeping the rest of the world out while her world crumbled. She couldn't have been more thankful.

Annabeth lifted her head just enough to peek her eyes over her knees. Piper was sitting right in front of her. She had her side leaned on Annabeth's shins, and she was still humming. There were tear tracks running down her face. Grover was sniffling on Annabeth's right; Jason was sitting on her left. Leo was at her right shoulder, and he was the one rubbing her back. And Hazel was right beside him, tying off Annabeth's hair.

Annabeth reached and grabbed Grover's shoulder. He jumped a bit but faced her. "Annabeth. Gods, Annabeth…" His hoarse voice trailed off. She saw his chin quiver.

"Go talk to him, Grover. You're his oldest and best friend," she encouraged. His heartbroken look almost set her to crying again, but she pulled herself together. Her friends needed her now. "Go on. He won't be able to say much back, but he'll be happy to know you're there."

Jason craned his neck to look at her. "He can't speak?"

"Not easily," Annabeth admitted. "I'm not real sure he can comprehend much, at this point, but he remembers everyone. And if he's not in too much pain, then he's aware enough to know who is with him, especially if you speak to him."

Grover looked at the door. "I had to break the empathy link. Lord Apollo said…he said Percy didn't have long to live. I could tell things were bad. As bad as when you two were in…Tartarus. Worse, even. What do I say to someone with no time left?" He sounded desperate.

Annabeth pulled Grover into a side hug. "Anything, Grover. He had me tell him about the constellations on the ride back. I think he just wants to hear our voices. Maybe you could tell him about the time he was dangling from the jumbo-tron in Time's Square in his boxers and t-shirt. Tell him something to make him smile."

Grover stood up. "Something to make him smile…No shortage of material there, is there?"

Leo chuckled. Annabeth grinned a bit and agreed. "Not with our Seaweed Brain."

Grover opened the door and walked in, closing the door back behind him. Nico came and took Grover's spot on the floor. Will walked over and leaned against the cabin wall. Frank also came over. He sat against the porch railing. Piper was the one who finally spoke up. "Apollo didn't go into specifics, but he made it sound like Percy wouldn't even make the trip back. How…how is he still here?"

"He's fighting it," Nico answered quietly. "He's flat refusing to give in. Thanatos will have drag him to Charon."

"He needs to give in," ground out Will. "The pain he's causing himself…I can sense it. It's…It's some of the worst I've ever felt, mainly because it's being prolonged."

"Percy never 'gives in.' He always fights – always pushes the envelope," came Rachel's voice from the far side of the porch.

Nico stared moodily at the cabin door and kicked his foot out in front of him, nearly hitting said door. "Well, he shouldn't be so stubborn this time. He's only hurting himself."

Annabeth sighed. She knew Nico wasn't really angry. "His father promised him he would be able to say good-bye to everyone, Nico. He intends to do just that."

Nico rubbed his eyes hard and cursed in Italian. "Idiot can't even die without being loyal," he muttered.

Hazel came around and hugged her brother. Her eyes were shining with tears. "But he wouldn't be Percy Jackson any other way. He will only ever do anything by his own terms."

Piper reached over and grabbed Annabeth's left hand by the fingers and shook it. "Which I'm sure explains this," she said, looking at Annabeth for an explanation.

Everyone had turned to look. "Is that an engagement ring?" Hazel asked.

"It's the whole wedding set," Piper answered. She looked back at Annabeth. "You can't tell me that you two had this planned the whole time. Percy found out that he wasn't going to make it, didn't he, and you two just decided to tie the knot. Right?"

Annabeth felt herself blush but so lightly no one could probably tell. "Yes. Gods from the other pantheons, Hades, and Apollo all indicated that something was supposed to happen to him. Even Percy kept dreaming of things that made him think he would die. We got married on the nineteenth. We just eloped in Greece. We wanted…We wanted to…get at least one of our dreams…accomplished."

"Two days…Crap, Annabeth, that's something straight out of a Nicholas Sparks novel," commented Rachel.

"It is," Annabeth agreed, "but it's better than none at all."

No one said anything else. There was nothing to say. They just waited silently while Grover said his good-byes.

A little while later, the door opened, and Grover came out wiping his eyes and sniffling. He stood leaned against the railing on the far side of the porch looking out towards the woods. He stayed there for several minutes trying to regain his composure. "Maybe going in groups or pairs would be best. This is harder on him than he will admit," he finally said.

For a moment, no one responded. Then Jason spoke up. "Piper, Leo, we'll go next. No longer than half an hour for each group with at least ten minutes between groups. Rachel, Nico, and Will can be after us. Then Hazel and Frank. And finally Annabeth can go back in and stay with him and his family."

"I'll stay out," Will replied. "I'm his doctor more than his friend. His parents don't really know me much, either, beyond a professional relationship. It's just best if I stay out here until I'm needed."

Jason nodded as Piper and Leo stood. The three walked to the door, and Piper quietly knocked before opening it and heading inside.

The group on the porch held short, quiet conversations. No one seemed to have the ability to talk about more than mundane things, and soon, they were in silence. Jason, Piper, and Leo came out. Rachel and Nico waited for a bit to give Percy a chance to rest, and then they went in.

Annabeth was standing at the railing. She could see the other demigods gathered in vigil out at the hearth. Torches had been set out and lit around the courtyard. The mood was somber. The Stolls, Clarisse, Katie Gardner, and so many other familiar faces were out there. Occasionally, someone would toss an offering into the flames of the hearth. Hestia stood nearby tending the fire. She had the youngest campers grouped over by her. They had fallen asleep, and Hestia kept a blanket draped over them and would smooth their hair when nightmares invaded their sleep. Annabeth wanted to go to them, but she knew her place was here with Percy. Clarisse had locked eyes with her at one point and nodded once, saying she had things under control with the campers.

Annabeth heard the door open, again, as Rachel and Nico came out. And a few minutes later, she heard as Hazel and Frank walked inside. The sound of a crying baby reached her ears. Hope must have woken up. Only a minute or so later, the door opened, again, and Annabeth turned to see Paul coming out with Hope wailing in his arms. Jason quickly walked over and closed the door for him, and Paul walked over to stand beside her. He looked stressed, pained, exhausted, and just plain confused. He had a bottle in his back pocket, a spit-up rag over his shoulder, even a diaper, wipes, and changing pad tucked under one arm. Annabeth reached for the baby. "Here, Paul, let me take her. You look like you need a break."

He handed the baby to her gratefully and draped the little towel over her shoulder. Annabeth sat on the step and took the bottle Paul was handing to her. In no time, Annabeth had baby Hope quietly sucking on her bottle, gently rocking her. Paul sat heavily beside her and rubbed his face. She heard him unleash a string of curses under his breath. Then, he seemed to remember where he was and looked at her. "Sorry, Annabeth."

She shrugged watching the baby in her arms. "You didn't say anything I haven't. In fact, I've said more, but I have a variety of languages to choose from."

"Still, it was inappropriate."

Annabeth snorted lightly. "Inappropriate. Your eighteen year old son is in that room slowly dying for no other reason than the fact that he was conceived, and you think cussing about it is inappropriate. You're a mystery, Paul."

He glanced at her. "Maybe the situation isn't inappropriate, but the setting is."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's Camp Half-Blood, Paul, not a classroom. We cuss as much as we train around here, which is to say all the time. We even get Chiron riled up every couple of days. You should hear the stuff he says."

Paul reached over and smoothed his daughter's hair. "Well, then it was inappropriate for my daughter's ears."

"I guess I'll let you have that one," Annabeth agreed quietly. "Still, I imagine when she's older and understands she'll forgive you." They were quiet for a minute before Annabeth turned to Paul and asked, "How are you holding up?"

He looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "You're his wife. I should be asking you that."

"And he's your son in everything but name. A parent losing a child…a wife losing a husband…It's horrible either way."

He nodded. "I honestly don't know how I am. There's not been time to process it, especially with Hope taking my attention. I don't mind that, though. Sally…She needs to be with Percy right now. This is all the time she has left with him."

"It's all the time you have left, too, Paul," Annabeth reminded him. "Look, I know of a few campers who would love to babysit Hope. They bug Percy about her all the time wanting to see pictures and stuff. They'll do great with her. When Frank and Hazel come out, I'll grab the baby bag and take her over to them. Lady Hestia's there, too. Hope will be perfectly safe. I can assure you that no harm will come to Percy Jackson's baby sister with that group over there. They'd give their lives for this child."

"Thank you" was written all over his face when he looked at her. She nodded and continued to feed the baby. They sat in silence, listening to the buzz of the insects and the soft murmurings of the campers at the hearth.

After several minutes, the door opened. Annabeth turned to the couple coming out. "Hazel! Grab the baby bag, please."

It took a second for Hazel to register what Annabeth had said, but then she ducked back into the cabin and reappeared with the baby bag in hand. She walked over and handed it to Annabeth. "Thanks, Hazel. I'll be right back. Paul, go on back inside. I'll be there soon."

Without waiting for a response, Annabeth stood and walked to the group ringed around the hearth. Clarisse and Katie met her halfway there. "What's going on? Is he-"

"He's still alive, for now, but he doesn't have much time," Annabeth interrupted Clarisse. "Look, his mom and step-dad, they need some time with him without having to worry about Hope. Katie, could you or Lacy or someone watch her until…Well, just watch her. I just fed her, so she should be good on that. It's the middle of the night, so she'll probably just sleep."

Surprisingly, it was Clarisse who reached out and took Hope from Annabeth's arms. "We'll take care of her, Princess. Now, go, you need to be with him, too. Tell him…I don't know…Just tell him we're all out here and that we're not going anywhere." Then, she turned on her heel and headed towards the group.

Katie pulled Annabeth into a hug. "We all love you guys, even Clarisse. Go on and don't worry about Hope. She's in good hands." She pulled the baby bag and spit-up rag off Annabeth's shoulder and followed Clarisse to the hearth.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Thank you for reviewing! I'm sorry for making so many of you cry...Well, you know, maybe. What can I say? It's the writer in me. Anyway...Just two more chapters and the epilogue. Hang in there, my dear heartbroken readers. And just remember, that regardless of what I do to him, canon Percy is healthy, whole, happy, safe, and so in love with Annabeth that he can't see straight, and he's the Percy that really matters. Until next time... :)

Disclaimer: PJO, HOO, KC, and MCA belong to Rick Riordan.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Just as she was about to turn and head back to Cabin 3, Annabeth heard galloping and saw Chiron coming towards her from the direction of the Big House. "Annabeth! Why aren't you with Percy?"

He had stopped next to her. "I've been letting the others have a chance to see him, and I brought Hope over here for Clarisse and the others to watch her for Paul and Sally."

He looked at her. "I see. I have spoken to Lord Apollo and the rest of your crew from the quest. They told me about everything that happened. I suppose I can no longer call you 'child.'" He shook his head. "Anyway, I would like to see Percy. I cannot heal him, but maybe I can ease his pain. Lord Apollo and Magnus say it is quite horrible."

Annabeth hugged him. "Of course, Chiron. Come, we will find a way to get him to you." She released him from the hug, and they walked back to the cabin. It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening. She didn't know how Percy had held on as long as he had. It had been nearly four hours since they landed on the beach of Camp Half-Blood already, and Percy was still hanging in there.

They made it to the porch. Annabeth cleared her throat. "Hey, guys, we need to get Percy from his bed to the door so that Chiron can try to help him some."

Will looked at Chiron. "Sir, there's nothing that you can do at this point to save him."

"I know, Will, but I would like to try to ease his pain. I can tell from how pale you are just how bad it is."

Will nodded. "Leo, Frank, Jason, Nico, come on. The stretcher is still in there." Quietly, he knocked on the door and opened it. "Mr. Blofis, Ms. Jackson, Chiron is here. He thinks he can ease Percy's pain, but we need to bring Percy to him. May we come in?"

They must have approved because all five boys entered the room. Annabeth could hear Percy groaning, mumbling, and tossing on his bed. He was suffering. As much as she didn't want him to die, she wanted him to suffer even less. Though she loathed to admit it, Annabeth actually found herself wishing that for once in his life, Percy wouldn't fight quite so hard, that he wouldn't be so stubborn, that for once, he would just give in. But then, like Hazel said, he would not be Percy.

Suddenly, Percy cursed loudly, and she heard a hand connect with another body, followed by a thump and Leo's colorful cursing in Spanish. Percy still flailed about, yelling, and sometimes landing a hit on one of the other guys. Without thinking, Annabeth ran into the room. Paul was holding Sally back beside the fountain. No one stopped Annabeth when she dashed to Percy's side, taking Leo's place at his head. She leaned close to his ear, ran a hand through his hair, and spoke softly to him. "Shhh…Percy, it's me. It's Annabeth."

He quit taking swipes with his arms. "'n-beth?" His voice was ragged.

She kept massaging his scalp. "Yes, Annabeth. I'm here. Chiron's here. He wants to help, but we have to move you."

"Hurts…" he garbled.

"I know, Percy. I know. But if you let us move you, then Chiron will ease the pain. It will hurt to move, but it will all be better if you let us."

He opened his eyes. They were dim and unfocused, and the light had gone out in them. He was blind. She wondered what other organs the poison had killed by this point. He wasn't moving anything below his waist, even with all his flailing about a minute ago, his legs had only been being pulled about by the rest of his body. His spine must have been shutting down. She felt tears prick her eyes but stayed calm as he coughed and struggled to speak. "Chiron…help…pain?" He had turned his face to her but wasn't seeing her, and she knew that somewhere in his pain-addled brain, he thought he had her fooled. She wouldn't call him on it.

"Yes, Chiron will help. Can we take you to him?"

Percy nodded and swallowed. "Stay…with me?"

His hand fluttered around at the edge of the bed. She grabbed it with her own. "I'll never leave. Hold my hand; we're going to move you to the stretcher." She looked up at the others. "Alright guys, he's ready."

Jason got his arms under Percy's shoulders. Percy hissed and squeezed his eyes shut. Frank and Nico had his legs, and Will and Leo held the stretcher. Jason began the count. "One…Two…Three…Lift!"

The three guys lifted Percy as one, and Percy involuntarily cried out, and a couple of tears leaked from his eyes. He clenched Annabeth's hand in a death grip, showing strength she hadn't seen from him in hours. If he had been more alert, he never would have held her hand so hard. She could feel her bones rubbing together, and she could hear them cracking. It took almost a whole minute to get him on the stretcher, but they did it. Percy was shivering and sweating afterwards. His breathing was so shallow and fast, he was nearly hyperventilating. Annabeth swapped her hands in Percy's as Will and Leo walked Percy to the door of his cabin.

They laid the stretcher on the floor, and Chiron knelt down in the doorframe. Percy turned his head towards the doorway. He could probably feel the cool night air drifting in. Chiron's eyes had taken on a rare shine as he looked down at his dying student. But he said nothing as he placed his hand on Percy's chest and the other on his forehead. A pained look crossed his face as he concentrated, murmuring something in the ancient language of the Titans. It wasn't long before Percy's breathing evened out, and his body relaxed as the pain lifted. Chiron took his hand from Percy's chest and moved the other from Percy's forehead to his shoulder. "You are a great hero, Perseus Jackson. You have made me proud. Your deeds will not be forgotten, nor will your person. Be at peace, son of the sea."

Percy slowly reached for and grasped Chiron's arm. "I had…a great…teacher…Thanks."

Chiron gave Percy's shoulder a light squeeze. "It was my pleasure, Percy. You should get back to bed. Will you be okay if I speak with Annabeth for a moment?"

Percy mumbled a "yes" and let go of Chiron's arm and Annabeth's hand. Sally came over and stood beside the stretcher. "I'll help them, Chiron," she assured the centaur as she grabbed Percy's hand.

Chiron nodded, and Annabeth stepped out of the way while the boys lifted the stretcher and moved back to the bed where the other boys were already waiting to move Percy back onto the mattress. Chiron and Annabeth stepped back out of the cabin and down to the ground. "Now, here, my dear, let me see that hand," Chiron said when they had walked a couple of yards from the porch.

She stretched her right arm out to him. "How did you know?"

Chiron smiled thinly as he gently took her hand in both of his. "I saw you wince, and then I noticed how tight Percy was gripping. I imagine you've had enough nectar and ambrosia for the past twenty-four hours, so I thought I would help."

Annabeth's hand was engulfed in warmth, and she could feel the bones mending and going back into place. She looked up at Chiron's face. "I already know about the blindness and paralysis. What else has stopped working in him?"

A sad smile flitted across Chiron's face. "Nothing gets by you, Annabeth. It never has. You are right, of course. He is blind and paralyzed from the waist down. I suspect that the paralysis will get worse before he is gone. I think most of his digestive system has shut down: his kidneys and intestines for sure. His circulation is not good at all. I didn't look, but I imagine his feet are quite gone. His hand was colder than it should be, I noticed. He is able to hear and feel still. His heart is working much too hard, though, and his lungs not nearly enough. To be honest, I'm surprised he is still alive."

Annabeth took her now healed hand back, bowed her head, and took a shuddering breath. "How much longer, do you think?"

Chiron's front feet danced. "I do not know, Annabeth. As I said, by all rights, he should already be gone. My only advice is to cherish every minute. Right now, he's fighting to stay with you. I honestly do not think he is afraid to die, but he does not want to leave you or the others – you, especially. He cannot fight it forever, though. His time is short. Go be with him. You bring him a comfort that no one else can. He needs you, Annabeth."

Annabeth hugged her trainer, again. "Thank you, Chiron. Thank you for helping him."

Chiron hugged her tight. "I only wish I could have done more." He let go of her and wiped her tears like he did so many years ago when she had first come to camp and missed Thalia. "Now, go. Spend time with your husband."

Annabeth nodded and went back to the cabin. All of their closest friends were still on the porch, despite it being nearly eleven at night. Even Sam, Magnus, Sadie, and Carter had come back from the Big House to sit like sentries outside the cabin, giving honor to their friend. The vigil in the courtyard was still going. No one seemed to have returned to their cabins for sleep. The youngest campers and Hope were curled up asleep on a pallet by the hearth, but they were still there. They had been covered with extra blankets, and Lady Hestia had even set up a table with coffee, water, and hot chocolate for the demigods gathered. Annabeth knew that everyone would stay awake until Percy passed. They felt they owed him at least that much. She wondered if Percy sensed them. If he knew that he was surrounded by family, friends, admirers, even rivals who all respected him enough to stand watch as he passed from this world to the next. She didn't know what he was aware of, but she knew, and she would treasure it.

Yet, somehow, she knew they were there for her, too. They knew that her letting him go would be the hardest thing she had ever done, and they were supporting her. She felt tears well in her eyes for the hundredth time, but at the thought of their support, she straightened her back and held her head high. Percy was dying with all the dignity he could muster. Her friends – no, her family were standing vigil for him and her. She would walk into that cabin and be strong. She would hold her husband's hand as his soul entered the gates of the Underworld. She would see him out of this world, and she would be the one to tell the others. She could do that, and she would.

* * *

A/N: In the last chapter, I made a reference to a short story by Rick Riordan called "Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo." It's a funny Percy/Grover mini-quest from Percy's POV. It's in a collection of stories by a variety of authors called _Guys Read: Other Worlds_. Anyway, you can read Riordan's story for free at this site. _www dot harpercollins dot com/web-sampler/9780061963803_ (It won't save correctly if I just copy and paste the web address. So, you know add . where t says "dot" and cram it all together in one long string. Sorry for the trouble.)

Also, thanks for reading and for the reviews, favorites, and follows. And please leave a review. Also, yes, I think we all know what's coming, but hang in there for me. I think this story is worth finishing, and I like to think you'll agree if you'll stick it out.

Disclaimer: PJO, HOO, KC, and MCA are all owned by Rick Riordan.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It was one in the morning, and Percy – brave, stupid, Seaweed Brain Percy – was still hanging on to life. Annabeth knew that he was nearly gone, though. His breathing was more labored than ever, now. He was no longer able to move from mid-torso down. He could barely hear, and his extremities had turned blue over an hour before, even his nose was cold. The only good thing was that he didn't seem to be in pain, or he was so far gone and paralyzed that he didn't notice it anymore.

Paul and Sally were sitting mutely on Percy's left. Sally was holding his cold hand and smoothing wrinkles out of his blankets. Paul had dozed off, sitting on the floor between the bunk beds with his head resting on the bed across from Percy.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Annabeth and Sally both jerked their heads towards it. No one had disturbed them since Annabeth had returned to the room at eleven. Paul was startled from his doze by the noise. He immediately began to stand up. "I'll get it," he whispered, not even looking at the women.

Piper was on the other side. She glanced at Annabeth before looking back at Paul. "I'm sorry to bother you, but it's Hope. She's crying, and we've tried everything. She just isn't happy."

Percy groaned a little. Sally looked at him. Annabeth could see her heart breaking. It had been hours and hours since Sally had held her daughter, and that was probably what the baby wanted: her mother. But Annabeth knew Sally wanted to be with Percy. Paul recognized what was going on. "Just a minute, Piper. I'll come." Piper nodded and stepped back from the door.

Instantly Sally seemed to make up her mind and was on her feet. "I'll come, too, Piper. Just give me…just a moment." Annabeth stood up from where she was sitting on the edge of Percy's bed and stepped back, and Sally leaned over to hug her son one final time. Annabeth saw Percy struggle to lift his arm to embrace his mother. Paul reached over and pulled Percy's arm up for him and wrapped it around Sally's waist.

"Love you…Mom." Percy's voice was barely a whisper.

Sally's body shook from suppressed sobs. "I love you, too, my Percy." She pulled back just enough to kiss his forehead, and she gripped his upper arms and looked him in the eyes, even though he couldn't see her. "I'm so proud of you, and not just the demigod part. I'm proud of young man who worked his tail off to graduate high school and get into college. I'm proud of the little boy who would scrape together his pennies to buy me an ice cream cone from the street vendor in the summer. I'm proud of the boy who stood tall and held his head high through every bully, every hardship, every expulsion, and even Gabe. I'm proud of all that you are, all that you've ever been, every dyslexic, ADHD, demigod, and human part of you. I will always be proud – always. Now, though, I have to go take care of your sister. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay, but she needs me. I love you, Percy."

Percy swallowed hard and tears ran down the sides of his face. "'s okay…Mom…I…love you."

Sally kissed his forehead one more time, and then she moved to let Paul hug Percy. He actually lifted Percy up from the mattress a few inches and pulled him into a tight hug. "I love you like my own son, Percy, and I'm proud of you, too. You're a good man."

"Love you…too…Paul…Take care…of…girls…for me…please." Annabeth swallowed her tears. She didn't even care that he was calling her a girl or implying that she needed cared for because she knew that Percy had always considered it his duty to care for her, his mom, and his sister. He had always been protective of them and would, of course, need to know that someone was keeping an eye out for them when he was gone.

Paul gently laid Percy back on his pillow. "Of course I will, son. I'll always watch out for them."

"You…'re a…good…man…Thank…you."

Paul nodded, too choked up to speak. He patted Percy's shoulder a final time. Then, he and Sally walked out of the cabin, gently closing the door behind them.

Annabeth stretched herself out beside Percy on the bed. (Sally had changed the sheets quickly while Chiron had been at the cabin earlier. Percy's failing spine had meant the lower parts of his body had completely relaxed, doing what they do but without his consent. She and Will had even gotten his soiled clothes off of him soon after the other guys had brought him back to the bed and had left the cabin. Annabeth had come back into the cabin to find Percy embarrassed, Sally and Will trying to pass it off as nothing, and Paul sitting quietly and just acting like nothing had happened for Percy's sake. And Annabeth's heart had broken even more for Percy.) Almost like a reflex, she curled up next to him like she had so many times before and wrapped her arm across his mid-section.

He took a shaky breath. Tears were still falling from his eyes. "I…gotta…go…Wise Girl."

She smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt and blinked back tears. "I know," she whispered.

"Remember…wha' I said…Live…Make me…wait." He attempted to move his arm to embrace her. She grabbed his wrist and pulled it over for him.

"I remember, Percy," she assured him. "You're my something permanent, you know."

Percy turned his head and gave her a feather light kiss on her forehead. She squeezed him a bit tighter in her embrace. Each breath rattled in his chest. His heartbeat was erratic. His chest was warm, but he still shivered. Annabeth pulled the quilt up tighter around them and put her hand to his cheek. He leaned into it. She could have sworn he purred as her thumb stroked his cheekbone, wiping away his tears.

He kept his eyes closed, unable to see her anyway, so she studied his eyelashes: long, black, and thick. His hair was not at its best after having been tossed around on a pillow for hours, soaked in sweat, and splashed with salty sea water. Annabeth didn't care, though. As far as she was concerned, he was still the most handsome man she had ever met. He looked so much like his father, but Annabeth could pick out little details he got from Sally: his ears, his smile, the round shape of his eyes, and his slender frame. Over the years she had noticed mannerisms he picked up from his mother, too: how he held a pencil, how he would throw his head back and laugh at something he really thought was funny, how he would shake his head at something ridiculous, and how he would cut his eyes to look at someone when they lied to him. All those details and a million more made him who he was, and she loved every single one of them. She would miss every single detail, too.

Annabeth felt the tears well in her eyes, and she couldn't hold them back any longer. She didn't sob like she had earlier. She just cried as quietly as she could. Percy still noticed. She didn't know if he heard her or felt her, but he kissed her forehead, again. "An'beth...'m sorry."

She brushed her fingers through his sweat-encrusted hair. "Don't apologize."

He took as deep of a breath as he could, and in one solid sentence, the last he would ever utter, he declared, "I love you, Annabeth Jackson."

A few more tears slipped down her face. She sat up and looked him in the face. He had finally opened his eyes. She already missed the sparkle that his sighted eyes had held. She cupped his cheek again, leaned down and kissed him. Her long braid slid down her back and landed on his hand, and she could just feel his fingers twitch in the ends of her hair as he kissed her back. The kiss was short and gentle, but she tried to express just how much he meant to her in that kiss. It would be the kiss that he left this world with, and she wanted it to keep him until she met him again in the future.

After the kiss, she looked at him. "I love you, too, Percy Jackson." Then, she snuggled back down next to him with her head on his chest and held him.

His fingers slowly twisted in the end of her braid. His breathing slowed. Then, his fingers stopped moving. She felt his last breath leave his lungs. She heard the last beat of his heart. Through her tears, she could just make out the numbers on his alarm clock: one thirty-two in the morning on September twenty-second. Her analytical mind had to know the exact time that he took his last breath. She had to remember it just like a mother wants to know when her child takes their first breath. After she had committed the time to memory, she laid her head on his silent, still chest and cried. He was gone. Her Seaweed Brain was gone.

Soon, she ran out of tears, and exhaustion began to take over. But she couldn't sleep. There was a camp full of people who needed to know that the man they were keeping a vigil for had passed on. She stood up, arranged Percy's hands on his stomach, picked up the two drachmas that Poseidon had left on the windowsill, and placed them on Percy's eyes as she closed them. Then, she quietly walked to the door and exited the cabin.

The group on the porch all turned to her in one synchronized movement. No one said a word for a moment. Then Sally gathered her courage and began to ask, "Is he-"

Annabeth met her mother-in-law's eyes and nodded. Sally turned and buried her face in Paul's chest and burst into tears. Paul hugged her close while his own tears dripped down his face. Hazel was sitting on the porch beside Frank, holding a sleeping Hope, and he pulled her to him, baby and all, and they began to cry. All over the porch, the same scene played out: friends and couples crying and hugging one another.

Annabeth slipped past them and headed to the larger group. Chiron was already heading her way. He met her halfway across the courtyard. The campers behind him had all turned to watch. Silence reigned as they tried to hear anything she might say. "Chiron," she choked out.

"He's gone." It wasn't a question.

Annabeth just fell into his arms. He pulled her into a strong hug. "He's gone, Chiron," she said through her sobs. The centaur simply held her and let her cry. She knew she had to regain her composure, but it was so hard. She allowed herself just one more minute before pulling herself together. She sucked her tears back, took a deep, shuddering breath, and pulled away from her mentor.

Chiron squeezed her shoulders. His cheeks were wet, too. "You will be okay, Annabeth, in time. I must tell the camp, and you should get back to the others."

Annabeth wiped her eyes and nodded before turning and walking away.

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A/N: First off, I am so sorry for the delay. I promise I had this thing prewritten. What I didn't have was all the chapters uploaded, and my computer crashed and burned. However, lucky for you, the guys at Best Buy were able to save my stuff, if not my laptop. Furthermore, my husband bought me a new laptop for Christmas, so after a long unexpected delay, I am back with the final chapter and epilogue.

Secondly, I've gotten lots of questions about the Golden Fleece. The real answer is that I forgot about the thing. Forgive me. I'm a married 30 year old mother of a three year old and a one year old. I was writing this in the evenings after my kids went to bed. These things slip my mind nowadays, and when you make to my point in life, they'll probably slip yours, too. No disrespect, just saying.

However, for the sake of your questions about the Fleece, I went back and reread the last chapter or two of "Sea Of Monsters," and I discovered, that it took at least four days after the Fleece was placed in the tree for Thalia to come back to life and for the tree to be completely healed of its poison. With that in mind, for the sake of my story's integrity, I'm going to say that there simply would not have been enough time for it to heal Percy.

And to the one person who pointed out that Percy saw his life flash before him when he looked at the Fates after the Titan War ended, I say, that was only a possible future for him. He could have altered that himself before that book ended, too, by accepting godhood. Basically, he had lived through the Titan War, he had a possible long life before him. I still think that the curse from the River Styx from his dad breaking his oath would be hanging in the balance.

In all honesty, it took me awhile to decide whether or not to actually kill Percy, but once I decided to, there was no turning back. I want him to live, too, but I felt that for my story, he had to die. Sorry.

Thank you for bearing with me and reading this. And do please leave reviews. I appreciate them.

Only the epilogue left. Maybe it will give you lovely readers some closure.

Thanks for reading!


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

On June eleventh the following year, Camp Half-Blood was abuzz with excitement. The first Greek legacy to be born in a decade was on his way into the world. Will had sworn off delivering babies when Chuck Hedge was born during the war against Gaea, but he decided that he could make one exception. He was the best healer at camp, and no one wanted to take any chances that something could go wrong with the birth of Percy and Annabeth's baby.

Annabeth had Sally and Hazel with her in her private room. Piper had, surprisingly, found the whole labor process more than she could stomach and decided it would be best if she were just the official runner for the whole thing, which meant that she went back and forth from the delivery room to the group waiting to hear when the baby was born. She kept busy in the meantime, grabbing drinks and small snacks for the group in the delivery room and helping Will prepare supplies for the birth. She never stayed long in Annabeth's room, however.

Annabeth had been shocked to discover four weeks to the day after she and Percy had gotten married that she was expecting a baby. Her monthly cycle normally ran like clockwork, so they hadn't used any protection. They were just going by her calculations. Well, apparently Hera decided to shake things up and give them a surprise wedding present, and now he was due to arrive at any minute.

The pregnancy had been hard physically and emotionally. She was sick for weeks, so much so that Will had finally given her anti-nausea medication and ordered her to take it easy until she got past the worst of it. She had lost far more weight than he was happy with during those weeks, but once the morning sickness was over, she found herself eating like a horse. The kid had Percy's appetite that was for sure.

Morning sickness wasn't the end of her trouble, though. The stretching of her ligaments and the pressure on her pelvic bone were so severe that she could barely walk at times. She literally began to sit on ice packs to help alleviate some of the problem. Then the Braxton-Hicks contractions began. She had been sure she was actually in labor three times before she ever truly was in labor.

And, as if all of that wasn't enough, baby Jackson was as ADHD as his father, apparently. He kicked, squirmed, stretched, flipped, tossed, and turned constantly. Annabeth's small frame took a real beating from her son. Many times she had been sitting quietly working on homework or plans for New Greece and would suddenly shoot to her feet when the baby in her womb would jam a foot into her ribcage looking for space. She had decided to stay in New York after Percy's death and was living with Paul, Sally, and Hope, and Paul got a lot of laughs out of her discomfort and late-night cravings for bacon cheeseburgers. Sally was much more sympathetic and would comfort Annabeth with similar stories from when she was pregnant with Percy. Hope just thought Annabeth's growing belly was a wonder and was constantly trying to touch and pat it while jabbering happily in her baby-speak.

The hardest thing, though, was not having Percy there for both their sakes. Annabeth knew that he would have relished in every moment of her pregnancy. Sure, he may have laughed right along with Paul when she suddenly jumped up to give the baby stretching room while watching _Doctor Who_. He may have teased her relentlessly like Leo when she ate three meals and four snacks in a day. And he may have driven her crazy with his worry when she was hurting and so sick that even the mention of food sent her rushing to the nearest toilet to puke. But he would also have loved to feel his baby moving through her belly. He would have had the time of his life helping her pick a name. He would have gone out and immediately bought the perfect fishy stuffed animal for his baby to cuddle before Annabeth even needed to unbutton her pants for baby room. And the ultrasound would have been the highlight of the whole thing for him.

And at the birth, Percy would have been her rock during the long twenty hour labor and delivery. She knew he would have done whatever she needed or wanted with one word. He would have held her hand, whispered encouragement, pulled her hair back from her sweaty forehead, and would have been the source of her strength when it finally came time to push the baby into the world. And gods, how proud he would have been when the baby was finally there! She could see his face in her mind's eye, and oh how she missed him – how she needed him.

"Alright, Annabeth. One more big push, and I think he'll be here. And PUSH!" Will ordered.

Annabeth took a quick, deep breath, sat up with the help of Sally and Hazel, and bore down hard. A guttural yell escaped her mouth with the sheer effort of birthing her son. And by all that is holy in Olympus, that hurt! And then suddenly a baby's cry filled the air and all thoughts of pain slipped from Annabeth's mind. She fell back against the pillows exhausted, smiling, and crying, and Will passed her the tiniest human she had ever laid eyes on. She snuggled him to her chest and kissed the swath of dark hair on his goopy head. The baby's shrill cries quieted when he was chest to chest with his mother, and he was already nudging around in search of food. Sally draped a receiving blanket on them, and Hazel cooed.

After the few minutes it took to get Annabeth and the afterbirth cleaned up, Will covered her bottom half with a sheet. "Well, let me see the little guy. I need to get him cleaned, weighed, measured, and diapered. Then, you can feed him and hold him all you want. Besides, I'm sure you'd like some fresh clothes and a clean bed."

Annabeth reluctantly handed her son over, but she caught Will's arm before he walked away. He looked back at her. "Thank you, Will, for everything."

He smiled at her. "Of course, Annabeth. Now, let Piper and Hazel get you cleaned up. Sally, would you like to help me with the baby?"

Sally's eyes lit up. "Will you be alright, Annabeth?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes. Just make sure he's good to my son."

Sally laughed. Will just leaned over the baby and said, "Your mother is showing her true colors, buddy."

If Annabeth had had the energy, she might have marched right over there and slugged the guy in the arm – in as friendly of a way as possible, of course. As it was, however, she was too tired to really care what he was telling her baby. She trusted Will. She trusted Sally. That's all she needed to know. Hazel and Piper helped her out of bed. Thank the gods of Olympus for great friends when you have jelly legs and absolutely no shame left. Somehow, they managed to get her cleaned up and dressed and back in a freshly cleaned bed by the time Will and Sally reappeared with a clean, swaddled, and hungry baby boy.

He was a perfect seven pounds and two ounces and was twenty-one and half inches long. He had ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, and a nose. Annabeth could tell he had gotten her mouth and Percy's ears. He was beautiful – absolutely perfect.

Within minutes, everyone had left Annabeth and the baby alone for some privacy to nurse and get to know one another. In the calm and quiet, Annabeth looked at the baby suckling her breast and cried without meaning to. "Welcome to the world, Aaron Chase Jackson. Aaron was your daddy's middle name, you know. He would have loved you so much. He would have been the best father. He never would have left either of us if he'd had a choice, but you can't stop the Fates. Nico will make sure he knows about you, though, and he will think about you every day."

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The years passed. Aaron grew. Annabeth finished her schooling, became a licensed architect, worked her way up the ladder at the firm she had been hired at until she was named head architect for some of the most important projects the firm took on, and all the while, she also designed and planned the new city for Greek demigods: New Greece. She and Aaron were among the first to move into the city. She had designed a little cottage for them on the shore of Long Island Sound, and Aaron spent his childhood chasing seagulls and searching for seashells on the beach at their back door.

Everyone said that Aaron looked like a good mix of his parents. He had a head full of thick wild curly black hair. He had sea green eyes like Percy, but they were shaped like Annabeth's. He was slender, like both his parents, and though he eventually passed his mother in height, he never got as tall as his dad had been. Annabeth's mouth. Percy's smile. Annabeth's jawline. Percy's chin. Annabeth's fingers. Percy's hands. He was a perfect mix. Even his personality was split between Percy's carefree, humorous personality and Annabeth's intelligent, strategizing mind. He even drooled in his sleep and was afraid of spiders. Annabeth liked to say that he got all the best parts of them both.

Annabeth never married again. She dated a few times, but soon realized that Percy had been "the one" for her. She would always love him, and she was content in her singleness. That's not to say she never recovered from his death because she did keep her promise to him. She lived, and she was genuinely happy. Her life was full and rich and wonderful. Yes, there were days where she would miss Percy, especially those days in September marking their wedding anniversary and the anniversary of his death and, of course, August eighteenth, Percy's birthday and their dating anniversary. On those days, she would shed a few tears and gaze quietly at the ocean. But then Aaron would come and sit softly beside her and lean his head on her shoulder, and she would wrap her arm around her son and be reminded of all that she had left – and of how much of Percy she had left in their boy.

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Annabeth was headed into the city for her weekly visit with Sally. She never thought that when she started the tradition at sixteen years old during those months that Percy was missing that she would still be at it nearly thirty years later, but it was habit she could never break. And neither she nor Sally really wanted her to, anyway. They had taken comfort in one another when Percy was missing, and after he died, they again took comfort in one another. And eventually it wasn't about grieving, it was about spending an afternoon with a friend, and then it was about spending an afternoon as a mother and a daughter. Hope had spent most of those afternoons with them, too, while Paul and Aaron would have some guy time.

Annabeth was forty-six years old. Aaron was twenty-seven and had been married for two years already to his sweetheart from Camp Half-Blood. The September anniversaries had passed just the week before, and Annabeth was thinking about Percy remembering the last hours of his life. How he had bravely fought for those hours, despite enormous pain and suffering. Even all these years later she could still hear that final heartbeat: the way it echoed in his chest and the silence that followed.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the cyclops follow her off of the train. Without Percy around, she usually only had one or two monster encounters a month while away from camp and New Greece. Even Aaron, a powerful legacy in his own right, didn't come close to attracting the number of monsters his father had. Annabeth still trained three times a week and even taught a class every now and then at Camps Half-Blood and Jupiter, but over the years, she had become a bit less vigilant because of fewer attacks aimed at her.

Annabeth was two blocks from Sally's apartment building when the cyclops decided to strike. No one was out on the residential street at the moment to see the monster pounce and knock her into the alley. Annabeth did a summersault, pulling her dagger from its ankle sheath as she rolled. Gymnastics were a lot harder at forty-six than they had been in her teens, and she didn't have time to catch her breath because the cyclops was nearly on her by the time she got to her feet.

The creature laughed at her when he finally got a good look at her age. "Ooh, an old one. Not as tender as the young heroes, but I'm hungry enough to make an exception. Besides, you'll be much easier to catch than someone like that little Evie Grace who killed my brother two weeks ago."

Annabeth's heart pounded extra-hard when the cyclops mentioned Jason and Piper's youngest child, a slight girl due to being born six weeks premature, but what she lacked in size, she made up for in fierceness. The girl was a force, and her small stature and control over the winds made her extra quick.

Annabeth pushed her feelings aside. She had a fight to win. "Well, you're out of luck today, lump head. I'm Annabeth Jackson, and I taught Evie all she knows about dagger fighting, so bring it on."

Recognition shone on the monster's face. "The Widow…This will be one for the minstrels. Prepare to die, demigod!" And he pounced, again. For all of Annabeth's bravado, she was slower than she once was, and she fell way behind Evie in speed. The cyclops slammed her into a brick wall. Her head hit it so hard, she was seeing double. She shook it to clear it, but that only made it worse. The cyclops lunged at her, again, and she side-stepped and took a swipe with her dagger. She connected with flesh, but it wasn't a fatal blow to the creature. She wished her vision would clear as she stumbled around to the other side of the alley.

The cyclops laughed, again, and pulled out a butcher knife of his own. "Now we're even, daughter of Athena." He twisted around faster than Annabeth had thought possible for such a lumbering creature, but he seemed to be smarter and more agile than most cyclopes. She was still reeling from her concussion and was unable to move away before his knife cut a deep gash into her torso from the bottom of her rib cage to her abdomen. In a wild frenzy, she brought her dagger down and buried it deep into his chest. His one eye widened in shock that he had been beaten by a forty-six year old, widowed daughter of Athena, and then he exploded into golden dust.

Annabeth fell to her knees in the alley. It had begun to rain, and blood was pooling around her. Her vision was still blurry, but she caught sight of her purse ten feet away beside a dumpster. She had her cell phone and some ambrosia in it, if she could just get to it. Sheathing her dagger, she began to crawl to the purse. It was painful, and she felt like her insides were going to fall out onto the pavement. She made it, though, and propped herself against the wall. She dug out the bag of ambrosia and quickly ate the last piece. Her vision cleared, the pain in her head eased up some, and the shallower parts of the cut began to close, but she had already lost a lot of blood. And it was still gushing from the deepest sections of the gash. She quickly dialed Sally's phone.

On the third ring, Annabeth was greeted by Hope's voice. "Hey, Annabeth! You're -"

"Hope! I need help," Annabeth interrupted. "A cyclops caught me. I killed him, but he got me with a butcher knife first. I'm two blocks north in the alley. Come quick."

"Oh, gods! Yes! Of course. Don't move; we'll be right there." Hope hung up the phone, and Annabeth put hers back in her purse and waited. She didn't have to wait long. In no time, Sally and Hope came rushing into the alley. Annabeth was too weak to sit up. They had called 911 and were under instructions not to move her, so they sat with her and applied pressure to the wounds.

Annabeth closed her eyes as the cool rain fell onto her slightly fevered face. "The water's nice," she commented, echoing Percy's twenty-eight year old words.

Sally's hand cupped Annabeth's cheek. "Annabeth, stay with us. The paramedics are on their way now. The ambulance will be here soon."

Annabeth opened her eyes to look at the women sitting with her. "I've made him wait long enough, don't you think, Sally?"

Sally's eyes glistened with tears, but the rain masked whether she was actually crying or not. "He would be okay with waiting longer, dear."

Annabeth felt her own tears slide down her cheeks, and Hope was sniffling and wiping her face enough to tell Annabeth that her sister-in-law had already lost the battle. She hated making them hurt, but her own life was literally pouring out of her belly, and no amount of pressure was going to stop it. She could already see black encroaching on her vision, her feet were numb, her heart was beating wildly in her chest, and she couldn't take a breath deep enough to get all the oxygen she needed for her body to continue to function. She was dying; there was no two ways about it.

She gazed back at the woman who had been more of a mother to her than anyone else. "I'm not going to make it, Sally. Tell Aaron how much I love him, how proud I am of him. Tell him that his dad and I will be waiting and to make us wait a very long time. And tell everyone else that I love them, too." Sally nodded.

Annabeth swallowed hard and looked to her right. The pain in her abdomen was so great that she was trembling all over, and it was hard to think. She persevered, though. "Hope, you're the best sister I've ever had. Marry that boyfriend, okay. He's a great guy; Percy would have approved. I love you, Bitty Sis," Annabeth whispered, using the nickname that Percy had given her when she was born and that Annabeth had only used on rare occasions through the years.

Hope leaned over, hugged Annabeth, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, too, Bethy. Give Percy a kiss for me, yeah?" No one but Hope had ever called Annabeth Bethy, and even she hadn't used the name in years. It brought back memories of sleepovers when Aaron and Hope were children, and Annabeth smiled at Hope.

Annabeth then turned to Sally. Even in her mid-sixties, she was still a beautiful, strong woman. "I'll give him a kiss from you, too. You're the best mom I ever had. I love you, Sally." Her voice was fading. She only had a couple of minutes at best.

Sally kissed her forehead. "You've been a wonderful daughter. I'll tell Aaron and the others. Go in peace, Annabeth. We love you."

Annabeth shakily reached over and squeezed Sally's hand. Then, she looked to the sky. She vaguely heard sirens in the distance, but what she saw brought fresh tears to her eyes and a wide smile to her face. She saw Percy. He was whole and healthy. He was beaming at her and holding out his hand to her. "Percy," she whispered, and she closed her eyes and took her last breath.

 **The End.**

A/N: Well, that's it. Our story concludes. I know, I killed Annabeth, too, but I gave her a longer life, and she got to reunite with Percy, even if I didn't write that part.

Anyway, I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading!

Happy 2016!


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